


Overwatch Academy

by supershimadabros



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, M/M, Pharmercy, Slow Burn, academy au, alternative universe, rocket angel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2018-07-27 11:09:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 40,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7615741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supershimadabros/pseuds/supershimadabros
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the disappearance of her mother as a young child, Fareeha Amari made it her dream to attend the prestigious Overwatch Academy to become a protector of the innocent. There, she finds herself challenged with more than just the obstacles set out for her by her dream as she forges new bonds and mends old wounds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Horizons

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! This is my first ever fanfic that I've ever attempted, and I couldn't have been more glad that I wrote it for a ship like pharmercy! The main focus will be on pharmercy, but I also wish to explore some of the other pairings and characters. Hope you guys enjoy it and please forgive any rookie mistakes that I might make :'D
> 
> *EDIT: for those of you just starting the story, I’ve realized I used to have this bad tendency to switch between tenses unknowingly, so I’ve decided to make an effort to clean some mistakes up when I get the chance! Other than that, thanks for reading!

**Giza, Egypt**

         The night was drawn out through the screams of fallen men and the blasts of violent shooting stars. The ground beneath their boots were slippery with the freshly drawn blood of the wounded. Now, with a transportation mission gone wrong, the soldiers of Helix Security International found themselves surrounded by hostile omnics as they hid beneath the shadows of the temple entrance with bated breath, despairing under the watchful eye of the moon. 

         Their leader, a proud Egyptian man well into his forties, realized the weight he now carried in his single remaining round. His men were exhausted, unable to penetrate the AI’s defences and unsuccessful in finding a way to shut down its systems. Their numbers had dwindled to pitiful amounts over the course of the battle, with solely two men remaining under his command before the call of dawn. 

“Captain!” 

         The man in question willed his body to move, his limbs crying with the shamelessness of a starved savage. He stared at the young soul before him, eyes blackened with exhaustion, searching, begging the other to provide him with a miracle in this most dreaded of outcomes. 

“The AI,” the young man choked back a sob, fear rattling against his bones, threatening to split him apart, “a feedback loop might be able to paralyze them.”   

          The captain stared pitifully into his eyes, now appearing heavy with tears, and nodded solemnly to himself. Tarek was only into his late twenties, with a wife patiently awaiting his return, ready to start a family. He would often tell of how he wished his son would grow up to become a man much like his captain—determined and decisive. 

“So you’re saying what happens to one will affect the rest?” he confirmed.

           Tarek gave only a nod in response, to which the captain kindly returned the gesture, gaze casted darkly upon the ground. In war, there was seldom victory without risk and sacrifice, and this situation was no different. The captain knew within the deep sanctums of his heart, where lawful morals had urged him on, that he could not and will not sacrifice these young souls before him to complete the mission. They were his family and they had protected him with equal fierceness and loyalty as he had to them.

He reached into his chest pocket, uncovering a tattered card with a name and destination inscribed in black ink, now slightly soiled in his own blood.

“After the night is over,” he started, handing and folding the card into Tarek’s palm, “you must deliver it here, and protect it with your life until your task is complete.” He gave his final orders, fists shaking. 

“Yes sir. I understand.” Tarek choked, tears now trickling down the youth’s face, falling freely onto their gloved hands. The young man gave his captain’s hands a final squeeze as he watched his commander pull away, readying his gun and plunging into the midst of the chaos. 

Tarek, along with his partner, had readied their own rifles, taking aim and opening fire in a final attempt to assist their hero.  

 

\---

 

             Fareeha Amari greeted her reflection with a proud sigh, a confident smile dancing at the edges of her lips. Her bags were dutifully seated beside her as she straightened once more in front of the mirror, flattening out any existing creases in her already meticulously well-kept clothing. After several days filled with daydreaming and nights made restless with wishing, she was finally being set on the course of a new adventure--one that would hopefully shape her into becoming an even greater soldier than her mother ever was. 

             The Egyptian retrieved her belongings from their resting place, slinging them over her strong frame and making for the door, eagerness beating against her bones and thrumming her veins. 

            As she gently flicked the lights off, she gazed into the lonely residence in soft silence. This place would surely remain a resting place for the memories she had shared with her mother before she disappeared.

            Fareeha recalled petty arguments over burnt dinners or lost socks and the joys of celebrating birthdays together. How though it was only the two of them, she couldn't have wanted anything more, even going as far as to stubbornly insist that it be celebrated by the two of them only, and not with a huge gathering of friends. Her mother had meant the world to her—a hero that taught her everything she knew in the absence of her father.

            Her mouth pressed into a thin line as her mind brought her back to the day where her mother never returned—gone without a trace as if she was a part of a magician’s twisted hat trick. She had waved her off that day, giving her a tight hug and remembering the small whiff of burnt material that was lingering on her clothes. Without a single trace of doubt, Ana Amari had returned the hug and departed at sunrise.

            As the sun tucked itself to sleep in the horizon, young Fareeha Amari had found herself sobbing into the shirt of the elderly lady next door, left in the dark by everyone that came to give their condolences with no explanation of where her mother had ventured off to. They would smile sympathetically at her tiny form, smoothing out her hair and holding her close, pretending to understand her grief through repeated chants of "I know, I know." 

           "Grandma," as Fareeha come to call her, wasn’t like that. She would instead tell Fareeha about the power of faith--how having faith in someone was much stronger than merely hoping. She would tell Fareeha stories of heroes and would go on to teach her that like her mother, they were all built upon their belief in accomplishing the seemingly impossible.

“Already leaving, I see.”

The familiar voice brought her out of her longing. She didn’t have to turn to recognize the voice behind her, instead closing her eyes and drawing in a slow breath.

“Mhm.” She responded moments later, exhaling and turning around to meet warm almond coloured eyes that were smiling right back at her, recognizing the slight tint of mischief that was present.

“Don’t think you can come home that easily.” The words had confirmed her suspicions, causing a smile to spread across her face. Fareeha had made a deal with the elder that she wouldn’t return home until she was a fully decorated soldier, or had saved the world at least once or twice.

“Save a couple people and maybe I’ll consider letting you come home for dinner.” the old lady smiled, flashing a nearly toothless grin.

            Watching the joy and pride radiate from the elderly woman made Fareeha’s chest swell with emotion. She pulled her into a strong hug, feeling even weaker arms wrap around her.

            In the quiet of the morning, Fareeha Amari found herself saying a small prayer—one that would hopefully keep those around her safe as she would strive for the strength to do the very same.

 

\---

 

The journey to Atlas was not a forgiving one.

            Sandwiched between a crying infant along with its mother and an overworked man, Fareeha saw herself off the flight with an aching backside which she attempted to remedy by allowing her shoulders to unwind and move about freely. Exhausted, she retrieved her baggage and boarded the earliest train at her convenience, a hand over her face as she tried her best to stifle a yawn.

            The train sped through darkness in the first few minutes as Fareeha peered aimlessly out the window at the walls of the tunnel, eyes threatening to slam shut at any given moment. It had only been slightly past noon at the time of her arrival, and she absolutely could not wait to arrive and settle into her dorm.

 _“Speaking of dorm…_ ”her mind wandered, _“I wonder what Lena looks like?”_

            Any thought she held at the moment was suddenly blown away as the inside of the train was flooded with sunlight. Squinting, Fareeha felt a new wave of energy coursing through her, the air electric and charging her with an incredible sense of wonder as she gazed out at the city of Atlas.

            Grand feats of infrastructure reflected the brilliance of the sun as they stood boldly in groups. Intricate lines of transport much like the one she was on lined the clear blue sky, a perfect day in the midst as Fareeha eyed the sea of people below. She had read somewhere that Atlas was deemed the great center of the west, and for a good reason too, as it saw old and new souls in search of new prospects and opportunities. It possesses the most advanced in research facilities and therefore saw breakthroughs in cures for diseases and prosthetics being drafted and engineered often. Rumour had it that a new treatment with the use of nanotechnology was also being implemented and refined. Although despite being a formidable destination of trade with people marketing new inventions on the daily, not everyone was successful, as Fareeha had noted while spotting some tattered clothed civilians sleeping in the sun.

_“Now arriving at Callahan Station.”_

            At the call of her destination, Fareeha gathered her belongings and stood her ground while the people around her packed together around the sliding doors. In the midst of the crowd, her eye had caught the emblem on a letter a red-haired girl clutched in her hands tightly as she bounced gently up and down on the balls of her feet.

Fareeha smiled to herself, sympathizing with her excitement.

 

\---

 

            The massive mechanized doors were graciously kept open during this special occasion as the courtyard was filled with young hopefuls, each gazing up and about at the board erected before them, confirming their classes for the year.

            Although Fareeha indeed held an advantage when it came to height and could easily spot her place amongst many, she chose to distance herself from the crowd, fingers flying away on her phone as she messaged her soon-to-be roommate.

_I’m in the courtyard. I’ll be waiting here._

Not even five minutes later after Fareeha had slipped her phone into her back pocket, a bright accented voice darted past her head.

“Hiya!” the voice had called out.

            Blinking and turning once behind her back, she was met with a girl much shorter than her. Fareeha gave her a slight once over, unable to put a name to the cheerful face that sported awesomely styled brown hair along with a red flannel shirt and light blue shorts, orange tinted goggles hanging leisurely around her neck. A glowing apparatus that was strapped to her chest called on Fareeha’s attention as the gears in her mind suddenly clicked together.

“You must be—“

“Lena! Lena Oxton.” The girl cut her off without a care in the world, flashing a neat set of white teeth. Fareeha slowly began to piece her personality together.

“Fareeha Amari.” She took the outstretched hand and returned the gesture politely, taking note of how Lena’s eyes darted across her features and hearing a tiny giggle escape her lips.

“Y’know, you’re not that different than what I pegged you out to be.” The brunette confessed.

            The Egyptian raised an eyebrow, confused as to how accurate Lena’s assumption on her appearance could have been and not knowing whether she should be impressed or offended.

            At first glance, Lena certainly seemed like the type of person who would be what many referred to as “a ball of energy,” her peppy laughter and bright accent being a major contributing factor. She had received a suggestion from an acquaintance that there were students who found roommates at the academy through its online forum, and finding herself with little options, Fareeha had submitted a brief description of herself and her interests. In hindsight, the reply and chain of emails she had shared with Lena couldn’t quite sum up the girl she now found herself confronted by in the current moment. In fact, she looked so incredibly ready to take off that she might just rocket off the campus if they remained where they were for much longer, or so Fareeha could notice by the intensity present in Lena’s eyes.

“Aww I was only kiddin’ with ya!” Lena said, giving her a few friendly pats on the shoulder.

“Now come on! I’ve been waitin’ for two bloody hours!” she turned slightly so that her back was now facing Fareeha, gesturing for her to follow and speeding off towards the west side of campus.

 _Two hours!? Wait—we’re running? Why are we running?_ Fareeha clambered around with her thoughts as she readjusted her bag and raced after Lena, heart racing as her adventure begins.

 


	2. The Sought After Extraordinary

“Look out!” a distant warning called upon Fareeha’s attention as her head swiftly snapped around and narrowly avoided a flying baseball. From the distance, she caught a glance of sheer terror on the owner’s face as it quickly faded into a look of concern.

                Waving him off and dismissing his worries, Fareeha went to retrieve the ball that was now resting on its healthy green cushion. Lena zipped to her side, with little to no traces of worry present on her flushed face. The ball sat snug in Fareeha's palm as she lobbed it up and down, amusing herself with its weight. Gripping it tightly, she dragged her arm back behind her head and pitched it back to its owner in the distance.

“Not bad.” Lena observed, a hand over her eyes as she watched the ball soar and cut through the air.

“I can do better.” Fareeha added playfully, eyeing the ball intently until it landed near the student’s feet, “Let’s go.”

                The two students watched as the Brit and Egyptian took off, the taller of the two walking up to his friend and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, noticing the petrified look on his face as he comes to terms with how close he was to landing himself in the vice principal’s office.

“You’re alright.”

“Yeah,” he gulped, “I sure hope so.”

\---

                To say that Overwatch occupied a large area in Atlas would be true. To say that it lacked in anything that it supplied would be a great understatement.

"There's another pool by the back!" Lena explained while jogging with Fareeha at a leisurely pace across the front of the academy to their dorms.

                The campus appeared to be dotted with extracurricular activities of all kinds—research labs, sports fields, and libraries occupied the area, students floating in and out of them without weariness.

                Both amazed and pleased, Fareeha took note of the student body, noticing how there appeared to be no pattern in the way that the people around her were dressed. Their identity and attire were individual and respected, Fareeha took note as her ears pick up on different waves of dialects and languages, even recognizing some Arabic in the mix.

                Her mind followed her eyes while they danced from subject to subject. She reeled in awe at the multiple targets and bots that lined the school on its many training grounds next to the gymnasium. On the pamphlet, it had read that a good portion of the combat related activities and simulations were conducted inside its walls, given the building’s ability to create different conditions in weather, temperature, and terrain upon command. It housed another indoor pool with two weight rooms and a running track, with sparring rings constructed specifically to accommodate the different styles of fighting arts that were brought to the academy from locations scattered all throughout the world, compiling a mix of traditional and modern martial arts.

The Egyptian felt a shiver run up her spine. It hasn’t even been an hour since her arrival and she’s only seen what she believed to be half of the campus. Charged with anticipation, her mind felt like it was drowning in thoughts of what she could learn.

\---

"Here we are." Lena stared up at the building, hands on her hips.

"Welcome to Overwatch Academy's Girls Dormitory!" she declared, chest puffing out slightly. They checked themselves in through the entrance, Lena retrieving an extra card for Fareeha while flashing a dashing smile at the lady sitting at the front desk, who replied with so much as a grunt as her eyes remained plastered to the newspaper she held. She appeared to be in her late fifties, some wrinkles already breaking against her skin.

                Suddenly reminded of Grandma, Fareeha’s mind immediately turned to wonder at how she was doing--if she was eating and resting right or if she remembered to turn off the stove—her heart aching with a tinge of homesickness at the thought.

Fareeha loyally followed Lena as she skipped merrily onto the elevator, almost as if she never decided to bolt all the way across campus.

As they ascended, she listened intently as Lena began pointing out the areas that they didn't cover with their little trek.

"That's the auditorium," she explained, "the ceremonies are held there." Fareeha gave a small nod.

"Speaking of that," she continued, "there's going to be an entrance assembly later today." Lena turned towards Fareeha, realizing by the nod that the stoic Egyptian was most likely well-informed on what was supposed to occur on the first day.

"I still need to confirm my courses." Fareeha informs the brunette, "I'll head over there once we're settled in."

"Sounds about right. I'll tag along just for good measure." Lena decides and shoots her a smirk, "Wouldn't want you to get lost and show up late to the ceremony, now would we?"

Fareeha gave a hearty laugh. It was probably the biggest smile Lena's seen her crack since they've met.

\---

Room 513.

                The metallic numbers reflected the light of the hallway as Fareeha takes out her card and attempts to unlock the door. She silently curses as she fiddles with her card, Lena giggling encouragingly in the background.

                 Finally making their way in, Fareeha examines her surroundings as Lena flits into one of the rooms and flops down on the bed. She assumes that Lena’s already claimed it for herself, judging by the mess of clothes that surround it.

Turning towards the neighbouring room, she sets down her bags next to the bed before eyeing her the room with interest.

 _“Perfect.”_ She nodded to herself. Being a rather unsophisticated person when it came to questions about her lifestyle, she was quite content with what was in the room—a reasonably sized bed, desk, and closet were present, with the bathroom situated on the other side of their dorm room where Lena was. The window allowed much light to fill the room and gave her a view of the north side of campus, where the looming buildings greeted her.

                 Letting out a sigh of relief, Fareeha allowed herself to recline on the bed as her muscles sighed with relief. A few satisfying cracks were heard as she stretched to her heart’s content.  

 _"I'm finally here, mom, Grandma."_ she smiles to herself and slowly allows the exhaustion to take her under.

\---

"Oi! This is no time for standin' around!" her eyes snap open and she bolts upright at the command, earning a laugh from Lena's end. Exasperated, Fareeha pinches the bridge of her nose and lets out a groan.

 _“How long was I…?”_ her eyes shot to the clock sitting on the nightstand. Five minutes.

“C’mon, we’ve gotta check out your courses or else we’re both late!” the shorter girl hurried, placing both hands on her roommate’s back and pushing her out the door.

                Though they still had about an hour until the ceremony, Fareeha relented, sighing as she allowed herself to be escorted out the door by her friend.

\---

“You better get that stinkin’ face of yours outta my way or I’ll have to take care of you myself.”

“I-I’m sorry. P-Please go ahead.”

                The rugged looking teen glowered at the cowering form before him and shoved his way past to the board. He gave his cigarette a puff while he glared at the letters before him, indifferent to how people were eyeing him in worry and how they whispered to each other uneasily while in his presence.

                Standing at where her own name was, Fareeha glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. They were both in the same year, no doubt. The heavy odor of smoke was seeped into his clothes as she could smell it from a good distance away. It flawlessly complimented his attire—cowboy themed with a hat, spurred boots and bandana to top it all off. However, what caught Fareeha’s eye was the belt that he wore.

 _“B-A-M…”_ Fareeha squinted as she struggled to see what was inscribed on the belt, trying her best to remain discrete.

                Any attempts to remain undetected in the presence of the cowboy was effectively blown to bits as Fareeha slammed a hand hard over her mouth, trying to muffle her laughter as she remembered what the letters meant. Bless Grandma and her knowledge on old internet memes.

                Not believing what she was seeing, Lena abandoned her post beneath the shade and ran to her friend. The Egyptian was bent over in her presence, eyes squeezed shut and hand still over her mouth, shaking with laughter as it was Lena’s turn to worry.

“Hey!” the Southern accented voice barked.

                Fareeha took a few deep breaths to regain her composure as she turned around to notice the cowboy stalking angrily towards them, his cigarette long discarded and snuffed out.

“What do you think you’re laughing at?” he growled.

                They stood toe to toe in close proximity, with Fareeha being slightly shorter than him. The scent of smoke was overwhelming to the point where Lena had to give a few tiny coughs in the background while gawking at her roommate’s bravado. Fareeha was undeterred, raising her chin and glaring fearlessly into his eyes.

“Why does it concern you?” she challenged.

                 He gave no reply, instead glaring back in silence as the tension between them was becoming increasingly more concentrated by the second, threatening to explode into flames at any moment.

“Excuse me.”

                 The sound of someone clearing their throat caused both of them to withdraw from their heated moment, instead having them turn their heads and acknowledge the presence before them.

                 Fareeha couldn’t quite remember the first thought that came to mind at that moment. Her mind seemed to be working tenfold in an attempt to be processing all the information before her at once.

_“Golden hair as dazzling as the sun.”_

_“Gentle blue eyes.”_

_“Pale skin that looks as soft as snow.”_

“Um…Hello?” the soft accented voice brought her back to the present.

                Fareeha blinked once. Twice. She felt Lena elbow her in the ribs roughly and finally managed to tear her gaze away, face heating up as she realized she was staring. The sudden shift in her behaviour left her cowboy adversary questioning whether she was the same person that stood up to him before, and feeling slightly out of place, he gave a scowl before turning on his heel in the other direction, grumbling as he went.

                 Lena hooked a hand around her arm, dragging her to the side and down to her level so she could whisper in her ear.

“You just about done here?” She hissed through clenched teeth. Her eyes darted around, signalling at the glances people were shooting them.

                 Fareeha gave a dumb nod in reply, still half stunned by the person who had appeared before her eyes as Lena begins to drag her off in the direction of the auditorium with an iron grip around her arm.

                 As the distance between them grew, Fareeha found herself turning back, desperate brown eyes searching for serene blue as she found them still gazing questioningly at the board, eyebrows knit together deep in thought.

\---

“Congratulations on your successful entrance to Overwatch Academy.” The gruff voice of the principal echoed throughout the auditorium.

                  Now in his sixties, Jack Morrison is still hailed as a legend amongst heroes. A US soldier turned strike commander during the events of the Omnic Crisis, Overwatch had flourished under his command with the aid of the academy’s other founding members. However, after the war it had effectively lost its purpose as a peace keeping force in the eyes of the United Nations and was disbanded, later being resubmitted as an institution to train heroes for the next generation in an attempt to maintain order in the face of oncoming threats made against society.

 _“Gabriel Reyes, Reinhardt Wilhelm, Torbjörn Lindholm…”_ Fareeha recalled their names as she singled them out behind the principal, reminiscing on the rare occasions where she did pick up traces of their identity from her mother.              

 _“Would she be proud of me?”_ Fareeha grimaced at the thought, hands curling gently into balled fists.

“Throughout these next four years, you will be confronted by challenges that are not limited to your skill or knowledge,” the voice echoed, eyes of young hopefuls gazing up to its owner in confusion.

“…but also whether you see in yourself the resolve to become a person who is capable of surmounting any obstacles set in your way to protect the innocent.”

                Her gaze shifted to the crowd, tuning the principal out as she scanned the faces that were in the same year as her. A little beyond where she and Lena were seated appeared to be a powerful body with a head of pink hair, its owner taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly as she readjusted in her seat. Like many people she’s seen today, what had caught Fareeha’s attention was the large x-shaped scar that ran down the right side of her face.  

                A few seats down, she could hear the amused whispers of a green haired student that repeatedly elbowed the person next to him, much to their annoyance. Fareeha watched as he snapped back at the green haired youth. He was slightly rugged looking, with his hair tied back in a tight ponytail. The vice principal seemed to pick up on this, his menacing brown eyes boring into their general area as he straightened on the spot.

                Fareeha watched the green haired teen as he squirmed under the intensity of his gaze. Looking up, she makes the impression that Gabriel Reyes appeared to be the very opposite of his partner who continued to speak in front of him, dark skinned with chestnut colored hair that was consumed by patches of grey. Next to him, the giant Reinhardt Wilhelm stood proudly with his stocky companion Torbjörn Lindholm, who, despite his dwarf-like frame, was admittedly a genius when it came to mechanics and engineering.

                 As her eyes continued to wander, she eventually spotted the cowboy from earlier with his arms and legs crossed, leaning back in his seat without a care in the world. Feeling annoyance build at the pit of her stomach, she immediately tore her gaze away from his boorish behaviour.

In its place, she found herself being drawn to a familiar touch of blue.

                Fareeha felt her face flush as she stared at the soft expression framed by golden locks before her, gaze fixed as she watched a hand being brought up to move a strand of hair to the side.

                Noticing her entranced state, Lena gently gave her a nudge with her elbow, prompting her back to reality, raising an eyebrow as she watched Fareeha give a slight jolt.

 _“Focus."_ The Egyptian chastised herself, giving her head a slight shake while trying to regain her composure. She wasn’t here to ogle at people she didn’t even know…even though they were stunningly beautiful.

“Please make sure you report to your classes punctually at 0800 hours tomorrow.” The sound of the principal’s voice resounded loudly throughout the auditorium. How much of the speech had she missed?

                She watched as Jack Morrison observed the crowd one final time before gripping the podium with scarred hands, stern expression giving way to a much liberal one. From today onwards, they will be faced with many challenges--and Jack swears to himself that he will do everything in his power to protect these kids from the unforeseen evils that are coming.

“You are dismissed.”

\---

                Fareeha mentally slaps herself for allowing her attention to wander during the majority of the assembly. She brought a hand to her face, rubbing her eyes and letting out a groan as they filed their way out of the auditorium and back to their dorms.

“You alright? You were looking pretty out of it back there.” Lena quipped.

“Yeah.” She responded flatly, letting out a sigh.

_“Maybe it’s just exhaustion.”_

                They travelled beneath splashes of pomegranate and violet, a warm summer breeze wrapping around them and signalling the oncoming delicacy of fall. Peering up at the canvas overhead, she admired the gradual arrival of twilight as her eyes remained level with the horizon beyond. Lena was quiet by her side, allowing her to appreciate the moment as Fareeha thinks of home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> McCree's appearance is based off his younger self from Ana's origins video. Genji also isn't a cyborg here...for now.  
> Thank you guys for reading!


	3. Green Memories

**Giza, Egypt**

The heat is oppressive, the unpleasant rays of the sun surrounding them as the disruptive banter of merchants encircled the marketplace. Hours had flashed by in the loss of their captain, the two men currently finding solace under the shade of a bowing palm tree.

“Ali.” Tarek called to the man by his side, observing how his friend’s eyes fluttered while drifting in and out of sleep, shaking his shoulder gently.

The man in question stirred, drawing in a deep breath as he willed himself to stay awake. After the events that transpired last night, anyone would beg to simply fall asleep and forget about what they had witnessed. Tarek didn’t blame him.

“Almost there.” His companion murmured, eyes pressing closed again.

He watched as his friend drifted off into a deep slumber, experiencing the same sensation as it attempted to overwhelm him, causing him to dig his teeth into his bottom lip in and draw blood, resisting the temptation.

Tarek steeled himself, refusing to rest at such a delicate time where a single moment of hesitation could have them both killed. Instead, he gave much thought to the events that were going to occur in the following hours, and prayed that no blood be shed in the process.

His quivering fingers drew themselves into a tight fist. 

_“We have to warn them.”_

\---

Feeling her face in her pillow, Fareeha let out a groan as she creaked her eyes open. The first shades of dawn were preluding outside while she examined her surroundings, mystified.

“ _…Right.”_ Her mind scrambled to recall the events of the day before—Lena, the campus, the cowboy, the assembly—

_“Her.”_

In the concluding hours of twilight, Fareeha found her mind drifting to the face that had so stunned her into silence with its beauty, mouth twisting slightly at the thought as she placed an arm over her eyes. Against her better wishes, she weighed the chances of them meeting again, eyes boring into the ceiling above.

_“…Not a chance.”_

Given the horde of students she saw filing into the auditorium yesterday, even if they were in the same year, it was unlikely they’ll have many classes together, even more so to familiarize themselves with each other.

Breathing a sigh of relief at concluding her thoughts about the stranger, Fareeha repositioned herself, the bed groaning and creaking beneath her weight  as she sought out the familiar glow of the digital clock.

_5:20AM._

The numbers burned in the darkness, causing her to squint as she swept her legs over the side of the bed in one swift motion, all the while stifling a yawn. The sounds of the city slowly waking from its slumber drifted into her room,  a warm breeze streaming in steadily through the window and cupping  her cheeks as she breathed in the scent of the fresh grass below.

Fully awake with strong arms raised high above her head, Fareeha let out a lengthy sigh, extending her limbs in different directions as she stretched. Then, placing her hands on the ground and allowing the coolness of untouched metal to greet her fingertips, she assumed a push-up position, arms planted firmly in place.

It was an established routine that she found herself doing every morning—warming up her muscles and breaking a light sweat before stepping into the embrace of frigid water. By doing this, her body would remain relaxed for the duration of the day, with her mind being keenly tuned into her surroundings.

As she finished up her last set of the morning, Fareeha was careful not to disturb Lena while making her way to the bathroom, smirking as she heard the light snores coming from the Brit’s room.

Once inside, she discarded her damp clothing in practiced motions and relished in the icy intensity of the water as it sprayed across her backside, excitement gnawing eagerly at her bones like an eager puppy as she imagined the day ahead.

\---

The quiet of the morning did not last long.

Electric blue exploded behind the door as it was dramatically flung open. Fareeha took a calm sip of water from her cup as she eyed Lena curiously, a single brow raised as her roommate blink about the room, dashes of blue light tailing her from the device strapped to her chest. Fareeha had yet to make heads or tails of the apparatus, not wanting to step on any toes and thus holding her tongue.

“What time is it!?” her roommate's image flickered to where Fareeha was seated, meeting her face to face.

“Uh…” Fareeha’s eyes wandered to her phone as she clicked it open. _6:30AM._

“……Oh.”

The realization hung in the air. Owl-eyed, Lena continued to stare at the phone as Fareeha wordlessly brought her cup over to the sink, washing it over with water and grabbing a cloth to wipe it down.

“Well…” her friend seemed to have retired from her career as a stone statue, turning towards her and sporting an embarrassed smile.

“Breakfast?”

Fareeha’s face broke into a smile.

“Breakfast.”

\---

It had made sense to Fareeha for the most part why Lena seemed to possess an indispensable pool of energy. After watching the girl down five waffles, an omelette, and a glass of milk in one sitting, she had learned that Lena Oxton’s digestive system was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

“Whew! Quite a nice way to start the day, if I do say so myself.” Lena pats her stomach contentedly.

“I’m sure it was.” Fareeha chuckled.

They were making their way to their first classes of the day, with the duo taking short breaks in between their stroll to stop and marvel at the city coming to life. Trains zoomed by at top speeds overhead as cars raced to park themselves at their designated locations. One by one, the squares on the sides of buildings were illuminated by the greetings of the sun as the shadows parted, signalling the beginning of a work day.

“Whatcha got first?” Lena inquired as they pass the statue situated in the centre of campus—a statue of a young Jack Morrison during his strike commander years, no less.

“Photon Light Engineering Level I.” Fareeha recited from memory. There was no telling how many times she glanced at the sheet she held so dearly in her left hand, although the intense creases through the middle might be of some indication.

“Ooh. Fancy.” Her roommate remarked, “Who's the teacher?”

“Vaswani. Satya.”

“…Huh, pretty sure I've got her sometime later.” Lena purses her lip, wracking her brain for clues.

“Really?” The Egyptian raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah…” Fareeha watched her friend as she rustled out her crumpled course outline.

“Teleportation Level I.”

It was one of the courses where Fareeha couldn't form a vivid image of no matter how hard she tried, although it was to be expected, considering how Overwatch was well reputed for thoroughly educating its students on the most advanced forms of modern technology, with the knowledge proving to be incredibly useful on the battlefield or in pressured situations.

“Ah well.” Shoving the paper back into her pockets, the brunette slowed their walk to a halt as they prepared to part ways.

“Probably not that different from what I already do.” Lena shrugs.

As if to demonstrate, she blinks to different spots in front of Fareeha, each shift creating more distance between the two as she waved herself off, giggling lightly.

 _“Ohh, so that's what it does.”_ Fareeha thinks to herself.

\---

“Hard light constructs are solid. They behave in accordance to any other objects you may find around you.”

Azure robes lined with gold trimmings swayed from side to side as Satya Vaswani floated around the board, flawlessly drawing smooth neon blue lines to match the words that were slipping methodically through her lips.

“They can support weight and interact with the physical world around us.”

Finishing a set of delicately written notes on the board, the architect brings her hands together—the sleek white technology that was her left arm emitting a blue glow as she wove her hands together masterfully, fingertips pinching together as she folded multiple faces of light into the end product— a miniature pyramid that she held out and presented to the class.

Murmurs of amazement drifted about the room at the rapid and impeccable execution as the creation was gingerly placed on the table. 

Revered as a genius in the field of light-bending architecture, Satya Vaswani had been plucked from the clutches of poverty by the influential hands of the Vishkar Corporation at a young age, raised under their watchful eye as her experience allowed her to take on the mantle of Symmetra. Now, under a working contract she finds herself loyally dedicating her time to educating the students of Overwatch on Vishkar’s state-of-the- art hard light technology and its many useful applications in combat.

Taking a break from her notes, Fareeha marvelled at the technology, mesmerized by the possibilities that lay in its handling. As Satya continues her lecture on the basics of the radical technology, she returns to her binder, dutifully busying herself with jotting down notes.

… _…Pop._

_Click click._

_Pop._

_…Click._

_Click click click._

“YES! NEW HIGH SCORE BITCHES!”

The sudden cheer cut through the respectful silence of the classroom, causing Fareeha’s shoulders to jerk and tense. She had attempted in vain for the past half hour to shut out the disruptive noise of gum smacking that was now coming from a few rows behind.

Snorts and muffled laughter buzzed about the room as Satya glanced down disdainfully at the sheet before her, adjusting it so that it was aligned perfectly with the desk as her eyebrows knit tightly together in annoyance.

“Miss…Song,” she began, “is everything alright?”

The source of the commotion gave her a thumbs up while flashing her canines happily, her other hand occupied by a pink game controller.

“You bet teacher-lady!”

Though previously annoyed, Fareeha now found herself snorting at the strange title, watching as the professor in question lifted both her eyebrows in surprise, not expecting such an enthusiastic reply.

“Hm…..yes.” she huffed, feeling slightly miffed as her form retreated back to the board.

Giggles were still floating around the room by the time Satya had resumed her lesson. Fareeha took the opportunity in between to take note of the way the girl had nonchalantly resumed her previous activities, fingers smashing away with vigor at the buttons on her controller as she continued to pop solid pink bubbles. With deep auburn colored hair and pink whiskers lining both her cheeks, she appeared to be slightly younger than those present in the class.

Though it was rare, there were occasions where students much younger than the general maturity of the academy were accepted on account of their impressive levels of competence and intelligence. Fareeha wonders if the girl before her is such a case as she watches her eyes dart around the screen. Unlike the cowboy from yesterday, her unattentiveness seemed to speak more confidently.

She tunes in to the remainder of the lesson, minutes melting into seconds as time became fleeting in the productiveness of the classroom.

\---

The halls were ablaze with bright chatter. Fareeha’s mind wandered the information she had gathered on the mechanics of photon-light as she travelled down the halls to her next class—Barrier and Shield Projection Level I.

_“Maybe some of the key components will also be—“_

_“_ Hey man, check this out!”

Her ears picked up on the hushed call nearby. Curious, Fareeha scanned the crowd. On the left side of the hall by the window stood the same green haired teen she saw during the ceremony—the one who had earned the glare of Vice Principal Reyes, now snickering to his friend as he relaxed against the glass. The duo seemed to be taking turns glancing mischievously at someone in the stream of students.

Someone who Fareeha wanted very desperately to avoid at all costs.

Dressed in a creamy turtleneck sweater and black leggings, Fareeha took note of the way her ponytail swished from side to side as she went with the flow of the crowd, textbooks hugged tightly to her chest while her lips pursed ever so slightly, as if she were deep in thought.

She wondered if the blonde was thinking about her last class, much like she was earlier.

 _“Focus, Fareeha.”_ The Egyptian briefly squeezed her eyes shut, repeating the words over and over in an attempt push the stranger away from her thoughts.

As she cracked her eyes open, she sees that the duo from earlier had abandoned their position by the window, slowly creeping up to the subject of their interest. The grassy haired youth maintained a suspicious distance behind her while his friend weaved through the crowd, shadowing himself in the other students.

The following seconds occurred in a blur, and whether Fareeha regrets it to this day, she cannot say.

Sharing a glance, the first teen gave his friend a nod as he watched him resurface from the depths of the crowd, casually strolling up to the girl and violently colliding his shoulder with hers. He watched indifferently as she stumbled to the side and allowed her books to escape her grasp, sneering in content and walking on ahead, allowing his friend a perfect opportunity to execute his plan.

The Egyptian felt a wave of anger shake her bones as she watched the girl regain her ground, a brief look of shock flashing across her complexion at the rudeness of the man before sighing and retrieving her books from the ground.

Even if it were a tiny inconvenience, Fareeha Amari was a lawful person. She had sworn herself to aiding those in need no matter what the situation had been.

Compelled by irritation, she approached the blonde in an attempt to lend a hand, watching as a flash of green zoomed past her vision, brushing his hand up against the girl’s behind in a light smack before speeding away and shooting Fareeha a dirty look for tarnishing his plans.

A light gasp escaped her lips as the blonde turned to find Fareeha behind her, hand outstretched as the Egyptian realizes what she just got herself into.

“I can expla—"

_Slap._

Her words were cut off through a blow that resounded through the faces in the crowd as all eyes turned towards the pair.  

“How _dare_ you.” The accented voice growled, loud enough for everyone to hear as the owner picked up the last of her books, turning strongly on her heel and marching off wordlessly.

Baffled, Fareeha stared off in direction of where the culprit had fled, cheek stinging as she could find no trace of him in the distance.

_“Fuck me.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so their day begins! I decided to split it off into two chapters, but expect the next one to be up soon! i'm having way too much fun writing this :'D  
> Thank you for reading!


	4. He's Such a Coward That He Can Laugh

“Lena, please…”

The raucous banter of the cafeteria muffled the Egyptian’s groans as the brunette struggles to contain herself, tears flooding the corners of her eyes as laughter threatens to make her stomach explode.

One excessively long class held by a gorilla later, Fareeha now found herself buried beneath her own arms, head shoved against the cafeteria table in defeat.

Curse that green haired bastard.

Not only had she managed to embarrass herself while attempting to save someone who was going to be a part of a pervert’s sick plan, she had done so in front of the masses—effectively labelling herself as the culprit while the real man in question had slipped away undetected.

_“Please let this be a dream...”_

Her stomach lurched at the thought of what her mother would be thinking right now if she saw her. Instead of being upset, she would never—with all the strength to the Amari name—let her live it down. She would be reminded of her carelessness in every waking hour. Every hour spent under the knowledge of her mother would be an hour spent in shame. Birthdays would be dedicated to this memory. She would become a running gag at family gatherings. A pitiful joke.

And as for Grandma…

Fareeha resurfaced from her shell of grieving, staring at her British friend with a blank expression. Her lips were squeezed together in a thin line, face turning even deeper shades of red as her chest trembled with laughter.

 _“Yeah, something like that.”_   Fareeha retreated back into the embrace of her arms as her roommate howled with laughter.

“Ah, don't let it get to ya mate.” Lena wiped a tear from her eye, finally coming down from her high, “After all…”

The brunette hopped off the deserted table side, swinging back around and slipping into the seat next to her grieving friend.

“She's only one in a million.”

Sensing a hidden message beneath her tone, Fareeha raised her eyebrows inquisitively. Not even having spent an entire week with Lena, the Egyptian was quickly learning that below her companion’s cheery cheeky demeanor was a force that held her far from being simpleminded.

“And what's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, really.” The brunette shrugged.

“It’s just that judging by the way you were eyeing her yesterday I'd say you were at least charmed.”

“I was not.”

Lena shoots her a doubtful gaze, the side of her lip curling into a devious smirk as she caught on to the faltering tone in Fareeha’s voice.

“…..I don't even know her.”

“Sure. Whatever you say.” The words rolled off her tongue effortlessly.

“I'm serious.” Fareeha states.

Even though the blonde was fairly attractive, she had never spoken a word to her. She didn't know what kind of person she was—she could be the dangerously alluring daughter of a contract killer for all Fareeha knew.

“Oi.”

On top of that, she had never been committed to anyone. No one had ever made her feel anything that compelled her to stay by their side—nothing was stronger than her own pure ambition.

“Oi!”

It was entirely through her morals that she felt obligated to help the stranger, and she would have done the same if it were anyone else—even the cowboy.

“Oi! Earth to Fareeha!”

And as far as she was concerned, she was only a pretty face—nothing more, nothing less.

A harsh smack across her shoulder sent her reeling back into reality. Scowling at her roommate, Fareeha watched as Lena broke out into a case of giggles yet again. Despite her partner’s energetic behaviour, Fareeha was amazed that she was seemingly landing herself in more trouble.

“Better not act that way later!” the brunette suggests, “I might not be there to lend you a hand.”

“Now, how about we go get some lunch yeah? I’m starving!”

Fareeha maintains a gradual pace behind her friend as they take off in silence to invest time in their meals.

 _“I can’t let this get to me.”_ The Egyptian scolded herself.

She had a dream—an aspiration to fulfill, and she wasn't going to let anything make her put that aside.

\---

“Welcome young students!” The well- aged bombastic voice echoed throughout the gymnasium, the sounds tackling the walls roughly as they collided with each other in mid-air in an invisible duel of triumph.

It's owner was a massive hulk of a man—a sheer giant who's ash coloured mane shaped like that of a lion’s brushed against the sky as he towered proudly over the young souls before him, chops spread wide in delight as he bared his ancient fangs.

Despite being in his sixties, Reinhardt Wilhelm was as regal as a Roman deity, with a vigorous body that acted with finely-tuned delicacy and skill. On the battlefield, he was known for being as equally unmatched in cleverness as he was in size, touching down his hammer in the almighty name of justice.

Compared to him, the students now gathered beneath his broad frame were mere dwarves as the inner track field of the gymnasium stretched out before them, its plush maroon platform lined with solid streaks of fresh white paint.

“I believe you all know exactly why we are gathered here today on this glorious day.” His lone eye smiled as he offered his palm up to the sky, cradling the sun beneath his heavy hand. Snickers dabbed the air between students as the gesture was accepted with silent eyes.

“Today, we shall be celebrating your entry with trials that will behold your strength and glory to your comrades!” A triumphant roar smothered the chortles that were now contagiously infecting the crowd.

Reinhardt was always a favourite amongst students—his thick flowery speech and dramatic displays of fervour were absurdly hilarious to the point of being charismatic. As it became clear to his students how he would nobly bear his heart on his sleeve, many would enroll themselves in his extracurricular classes of German and History, and one would often seek him out indulging in his fans the marvellously ludicrous tales of his younger years, namely that one occasion where he had fended off the advances of angry mobsters alongside his most beloved musician.

“Now, my friends, let me explain to you what must be done.”

Poised in the midst of the crowd alongside her ecstatic roommate, Fareeha eagerly tuned in to what the burly accented voice had to offer. She held back the urge to smirk at the memory of a work of art that had decorated her wall as a child—one that had displayed a dashing heroic German man sporting an equally handsome do.

His massive frame clothed by a thin dark muscle shirt, Reinhardt shoved his fingers into his gargantuan sized shorts, whipping out curled leafs of paper as he cleared his throat.

“You will be separated into multiple groups as you advance to your stations.” He started, eyes raising from the sheet as he glanced at the youngsters in front of him, careful to make sure that they were heeding every word.

“Next, you shall proceed with the instructions provided at each station and accordingly submit your scores as your assessment is completed.” He states, snapping the papers once.

Following the conclusion of the assembly, Lena had took it upon herself to inform Fareeha of what she had missed, much to her distress and gratitude at the time.

From what she understood of Lena’s explanation, after their academic courses in the morning a physical assessment would be conducted to gauge the standings of a student’s bodily performance. Each student was provided a number on a tag to which they would approach their stations—which included a wide variety of activities that ranged from your classic runs to archery and sparring—all of which would aid in assessing their overall endurance, technique, accuracy, and strength. They were permitted to bring any equipment that they deemed fit to aid them in achieving a better score, with said items ranging from mere clothing to metal plates of armour that could possibly showcase impressive bouts of strength. Those who wished to bring weapons had to register them with the Physical Education Department beforehand and state for what purpose they would be for, although none would be applicable to sparring.

The Egyptian stood at attention as she listened intently to Reinhardt continue to give his instructions.

“A medic will be stationed at their posts, should any accidents occur.” The rough voice explained, “I myself will be handling the station here, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

“After you have cycled through all of the stations, feel free to depart and ready yourselves for the next day.”

The sheets of paper were carefully rolled up and slid back into his pockets as he scanned the crowd.

“Any questions?”

\---

“Well, guess I'll catch up with you after this is over. See ya later luv!” Lena sang as she blinked off in the direction of her station.

Fareeha waved her off as she turned to examine the field before her, squinting as she tried to make out the numbers in the distance. Station three seemed to be located upstairs in the weight room—which meant that she would most likely be participating in some sort of strength and endurance based activities.

_“Time to show them what you’re made of.”_

Carefully adjusting the clip of her laminated number, she began to make her way to the stairs.

\---

Lena Oxton had blazed many trails during the course of her young life—both metaphorically and physically.

“Eat my dust!” the brunette bolted across the track, legs a blur as she dominated her challengers who were busy gaping at the ludicrous display of speed with wide eyes.

“Four minutes fifty-five seconds!”

A 1600m race completed and under her belt, the Brit gave a satisfied huff as she slowed to a halt, wiping the sweat from her brow with her free hand as the other reached for her tag.

“That was pretty good.”

Wheeling around at the compliment, she greeted the voice with a toothy grin, only to find the expression returned with just as much enthusiasm by a dark skinned boy with long dreads.

“Pff, that?” the brunette gave a hardy laugh, “That was a piece of cake!”

The duo chuckled together in unison, the shorter of the two extending a hand in greeting.

“The name’s Lucio. Lucio Correia dos Santos.” The articulation was smooth, the words sounding like a flawless number.

“Lena Oxton.” The Brit took the hand. Unlike with Fareeha, the grip had felt much more relaxed in her palm.

_“Next group!”_

"Lucio! Come _on_ it's our turn!" Lena's attention turned to the auburn haired girl who was now motioning towards the boy impatiently.

“I guess that’s my queue.” Lucio smirked.

As he departed to the starting line, the boy circled around and shot Lena a cocky grin.

“Say Lena, how much do you wanna bet that I beat your time?” he challenged, crossing his arms over his chest confidently.

“Hah! I’d like to see you try!” the brunette offered back, raising an eyebrow at the friendly rivalry that was taking place while placing her hands on her hips.

“Well, don’t mind if I do.” he said, turning back again while waving an arm in the air.

“Wish me luck!”

\---

“Perfect.”

Gloved fingers delicately tucked a stray strand of raven hair behind his ear as Hanzo Shimada observed his work of art—an arrow tucked into the miniscule red center of the target with dangerous accuracy.

Gingerly pinching the string on his storm bow, the muscles in his back and shoulders strained as he draws it back gradually, his other arm maintaining a solid position as it held the grip with calloused hands. Breathing in once, he slowly readies the instrument, eyeing the target with the gaze of a bird of prey—patient and intense.

Exhaling, he releases the arrow from its prison, watching as it jets out in a straight line to the very same destination, a shot as flawless and immaculate as can be.

An undertone of groans and discouraged murmurs surrounded the station as targets remained untouched. The modern yabusame incarnate brushed off his shoulder, glancing once at the pathetic arrows and bullets that were strewn in a disgusting mess before him.

“Samurai lookin’ piece of shit.”

Jesse McCree spat on the ground before him, matching the stern glare that was directed his way.

“Nothin’ impressive ‘bout standin’ there like a deer in headlights only to hit a single target.” He taunts.

Hanzo raises an eyebrow at the comment, slightly put off as his eyes catch sight of the cigarette dangling from the cowboy’s lips.

“I believe the objective was to display our skill at achieving accurate shots to the best of our performance.” He replies flatly.

“Yeah? Well you ain’t never gon’ survive out there with that skill.” The cowboy responds bitterly, readjusting the position of his cigarette.

“Hm.” Uninterested, the noir haired man quietly made his way off the platform.

“Hey.” The grizzled man closed the distance between them, planting his foot down on the other man’s shoe and grinding angrily.

“You got guts goin’ on an’ ignorin’ me like that.” He growled, giving an indignant puff of smoke.

Unamused by the gesture, Hanzo wordlessly retrieves his foot from beneath the spurred boot, side-stepping and making his way back to where he stored his bow.

“I’ll show you skill.” The rugged man states as he whips out his pistol, giving it a few good spins around his finger before firing six consecutive shots at the targets stacked on top of each other.

\---

Her entire body rattled with discomfort, arms screaming with the agony of starving jackals as each and every one of her cells were doused in acid and lit on fire.

The bar loaded with two hundred twenty-five pounds was held high above her head as Fareeha exhaled through clenched teeth, struggling to control the weight as it was lowered down back onto the safety hooks in relief.

_“That's ten Amari, well done.”_

At the command, Fareeha came up from under the bar, flexing her arms and feeling the pump from the rush of blood tighten the muscles in her arm. She brought her hands to each other, rubbing them together and idly feeling the callouses as she briefly remained seated on the bench. A small crowd had formed to marvel at the display of strength, and now they were whispering amongst themselves as they slowly dispersed into the other corners of the room, preparing themselves for their own assessments.

“What, two twenty-five? That's it?” Genji Shimada sneered from a distance, arms crossed defiantly as he leaned against the wall, “I can bench twice as much.”

“I don't know bro, her form was pretty solid there.” His friend observed.

“Yeah? So what?” The teen replied in his native tongue.

“You only managed one fifty.”

A fisted blow to the shoulder sent his friend reeling into the weight rack on the side of the room as the top of the teen seared with anger.

“Hey! Save the punching for later! Or else I'll send you straight to Vice Principal Reyes’ office!”

Genji mumbled angrily as he stalked off in the opposite direction, his friend foolishly tailing him from behind.

The younger Shimada grew up in the lap of luxury. He was used to people pampering him from all angles alongside his brother. Though unlike him, he was not in line to be the next master of the clan, and had invested many of his days sharpening his smarts and skills, especially when it came to flirting with women. He was not like his stern brother who had to shoulder the weight of his family’s expectations—he didn't have any responsibilities. He was free.

The teen smirked as he eyed the blonde haired girl who was standing idly alongside the rest of his classmates.

She was going to notice him, one way or another.

 

\---

“Not bad.”

The Egyptian caught the firm grasp as its owner hoisted her up from her seat, allowing another student to assume their position on the bench.

“Still not as good as my record though.” The pink haired woman offered her a bottle of water as they made their way to the side of the room.

Wrung dry after the series of body exercises that she did over the course of the afternoon, Fareeha accepted the water graciously, taking large swigs as she hummed in reply.

“Don’t expect me to lose next time.” She resurfaces for air, screwing the plastic cap back on gently.

Fareeha had made it a goal to strive for excellent physical performance ever since she set her eyes on Overwatch. What started out as a few body exercises in her early teens eventually led to spending an ample amount of time spent in the gym and constantly demanding improvement from herself. In her senior years of high school, she had admittedly become stronger than those with average strength and even beyond, and had taken some pride in it.

Now, when tasked with performing her maximum number of pushups, the Egyptian had found herself narrowly placed in second place as she lost by a mere three to the giant Aleksandra Zaryanova.

The Russian gave a heartfelt laugh at the challenge, smacking her encouragingly across the back and causing her to splash some water over her face.

“I accept your test, Fareeha Amari.” Zarya retrieves her gym bag from the locker, rummaging around in the bag and whipping out her phone.

“You should join me at the gym sometime, yeah?” she states while unlocking her phone.

Fareeha watches absentmindedly as Zarya opens up her messages. She did intend to make extensive use of the fitness facilities located near the girls’ dorm when she arrived, but with news of the physical assessment that was going to take place, she deemed it best to wait until the test was over and her body had time to recover.

“Here, give me your number.” The Russian says as she offers her phone to Fareeha.

“Thanks.” She reached for the phone that was extended to her, exchanging friendly smiles in the process.

Fareeha wouldn't have guessed that Zarya had been the type of person who was a lot more friendly than they had appeared to be. If anything, it felt good to instantly click with someone when you share the same interests as them, and to develop a friendly and healthy rivalry as well. The Russian’s massive frame didn't betray the fact that she appeared reliable and trustworthy—like the type of friend that wouldn’t hesitate to hammer your bullies into the dirt if you had any.

As her thumbs twiddled down her contact, Fareeha couldn’t help but notice the intrusive gazes coming from other students that stuck to their bodies. She did a double take, turning back to the phone with a blank expression on her face.

It was true that they both had managed to lift twice as much as the strongest guys in the class, but the recognition meant nothing. They both knew deep in their hearts that if given the time, they would both train much harder. Here was someone who challenged their respective abilities like no one they’ve ever met before, and how could they possibly let this opportunity pass them by?

Fareeha thinks to herself pensively as she hands the phone back to Zarya.

_“Group three! Please make your way downstairs to the sparring station!”_

At the sound of the call, the pair began to make their way out of the weight-room, sharing stories about past lifting experiences and cracking jokes along the way.

\---

_“Shimada! Amari! You're up!”_

Fareeha could feel the gaze slide along her back like icy daggers.

Angela Ziegler—as she came to match face to name—seemed just as upset with her as ever. As she parted the ropes and stepped into the ring, she noticed the way the blonde crossed her toned arms gracefully across her bosom while standing a fair distance from the ring much like the rest of the students.

It felt like the universe was working against her.

She recalled the way her round blue eyes would shoot slight glances at her in the weight-room as she competed with her pink haired friend, although for what reason, she does not know. Instead she had allowed herself to recall the events of the morning, steeling herself with fiery anger as she pushed herself beyond her limits for one second longer each time.

Now, under her scrutinizing gaze yet again, Fareeha felt her a wave of uneasiness sweep across her body, gut twisting with anxiousness as she analyzed the opponent before her.

Each person was paired together randomly in the sparring station, the teacher in charge requiring them to fight for two rounds of two minutes with a minute rest in between. And though Fareeha was not one to take pleasure in exacting revenge on people who had wronged her, she had to admit that she didn’t expect the matchup.

Readying her hands beside her face, the Egyptian tucked her arms close to her body, ensuring that her sides were protected as she curled her shoulders slightly inwards and bladed her body so that less open areas were open for her opponent to attack. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet lightly, eyeing her opponent who leisurely brought his hands in front of his face and body, standing ready in place.

 _“Is he underestimating me?”_ she questioned as she watched the smirk spread across his lips. It was insanely uncommon to see a fighter not try to conceal their footwork by bouncing up and down while in place.

_“Ready?”_

The referee gazed at both fighters once, his hand shooting upwards as he lifted the barrier between them.

_“Begin!”_

The crowd watched in intense silence while a swift stepping side kick was easily avoided as Fareeha weaved her head to the side, spotting Genji’s backside as he attempted to recover from the missed attack with a hook kick belonging to the same leg to her head. Predicting the response, Fareeha bobbed to his open side, left foot pivoting as she cut through the air to his face with a lead uppercut.

A wave of surprise floated through the student body as they watched Genji stumble back, astonishment flashing across his features as he let his emotions get the better of him. Sniffing and rubbing his nose once, he began to bounce lightly on his feet as he eyed Fareeha angrily.

“Finally starting to take me seriously, huh?”

Fareeha launched her own volley of attacks, beginning with a couple jabs that Genji attempted to parry and leading into a body blow, the right straight being narrowly avoided as her opponent strikes it down with his arm, coming back again with a roundhouse to the head.

The Egyptian protects her head with her left arm, grabbing the attack and returning with an elbow to the side of his head protector.

The shrill sound of the bell cuts through the tension as it signals the end of the first round, allowing Genji to retreat to his corner after floundering in confusion from the blow.

Returning to her own corner, Fareeha spots her pink haired friend loyally waiting for her with a bottle of water.

“Nice defense.”

“Didn't even break a sweat.” Fareeha responds, taking the cool bottle and holding it up to her face. Given the combination of strong blocks and kicks, she assumes that some style of Karate is being used by her opponent, which is unsurprising, given his initial ready stance.

She herself was trained in martial arts by her mother for a brief time—a hybrid style of muay thai and jiu-jitsu. She had gathered expansive knowledge of the different styles of the world and had studied their advantages and disadvantages intensively. Although right now, it didn't appear to be their training that separated their skill, but rather a question of speed and thorough planning.

At the call of the bell, she returned to the middle of the ring, noticing the way Genji’s expression had reverted to his original smug one.

_“Begin!”_

He began flicking fake jabs at her, searching for an opening before diving in with a straight. Fareeha ducked at the sight of the attack, only to find an uppercut waiting for her as she realizes that the right hand was also a fake.

Unable to block in time, she felt hotness sear through her face, a small dribble of blood making its way to her lips.

 _“Shit.”_ She cursed to herself.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Angela gazing worriedly at her complexion, a dash of concern flashing across her face.

Another jab and a straight, this time followed by a roundhouse to the body. Fareeha blocks it, sending her own right jab in response, only to have it blocked and countered with a right hook to the face that she narrowly manages to slide back from.

Recovering from the exchange, Genji begins to circle her slowly, like a tiger encircling its prey. He steps forward once, spinning in the air as he comes around with a tornado kick.

The Egyptian explodes with as much strength as her body would allow her, grabbing the attack and sweeping her leg under his stationary one.

Feeling the solid grip of his clothing in her hands, Genji leaps into the air in time with Fareeha’s sweep, exaggerating the attack as he slammed himself loudly into the floor below.

He pulls his right leg to his chest, screaming in agony as the medics flooded the ring.

Fareeha could hear the gasps of fear around her as she was shoved by the referee back into her own corner, her eyes falling on the middle of the platform as she stepped to the outside.

There she saw Angela, hurriedly aiding the medics as they examined Genji’s leg. She followed them as they gathered him up and carrying him out of the room, her eyebrows knit together furiously as she stepped towards her.

“What is _wrong_ with you?”

“What!? I didn’t even—”

“Why did you even bother coming to Overwatch if all you were going to do is cause trouble?”

At the words, Fareeha remained silent, remembering how Angela had slapped her in the morning. She had enough of this. Enough of her. How she toyed with her thoughts and distracted her from her duties and how she didn’t even bother to listen to her in the hallway after she tried to save her.

“You know what? Forget it, I’m sorry. Do what you want.”

Fareeha grabbed her bags and stalked out of the room, Zarya running after her as the inside of her mind screamed with frustration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor fareeha just can't catch a break eh? LOL  
> at least she's made a new friend *wiggles eyebrows at zarya*  
> thank you guys as always for reading!


	5. Walk on the Diagonal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys as always for reading! things will begin gradually taking off next chapter!

**Giza, Egypt**

**Helix Security International HQ**

 

“ALI!”

The walls of Tarek’s throat burned as he screamed, lunging forward to catch his comrade’s heavy body as it collapsed to the floor. Narrowly avoiding the spray of bullets, he struggled to haul his battered form behind a wall in the hangar as the gunfire chewed their surroundings to shreds.

It had only been a brief eight hours after their return to base. The pair had made reports on the failed transport mission and had foolishly lowered their guards in the embraces of their relieved coworkers as an explosion erupted in Block E, allowing what appeared to be operatives of the terrorist organization Talon to flood the facilities.

Now trapped in the hangar, Tarek examined his friend’s body, fear jamming his pulse as he sees the numerous crimson flowers that were blooming along his torso.

“No no no…” he slurred the words together softly, shaking his friend gently as he urged him to remain conscious.

“Ali, Ali…” bringing two fingers to the pulse of the now cold man, Tarek felt a lump forming in his throat as he feels the pulse slow to a complete stop.

His vision blurred with the flood of tears as he hugged his friend’s lifeless body to his own, sobbing silently as death surrounded them like a black curtain, slowly but surely closing in an attempt to snuff them from existence.

 _“What is going on!?”_ his mind wailed in anguish.

_“JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?”_

\---

“Hm, impressive.”

“She’s the spitting image of Ana, that’s fer sure.”

“Hmph. Let’s just see how well she does out in the field.”

“Ah, do not be like that Reyes. She did very well during the assessment.”

The four men surrounded the file situated on the desk before them inquisitively, picking out the details in the data that was listed alongside the portrait.

“I’d hardly call taking six minutes and ten seconds to run a mile impressive.” The umber skinned man gave a huff of disapproval.

“Pff, surely you jest.” Reinhardt responds, gazing incredulously at the man with eyes wide in surprise.

 “The girl just turned eighteen this summer, Reyes.” Jack Morrison responds, retrieving another piece of paper from the piles that formed a small city on his desk along with his laptop.

“Besides,” He slid the sheet to his grumpy companion, “it was the one of the best times out of this year’s recruits.” His finger underlined the name imprinted in third place to emphasize the point.  

The man shot the page an unwilling glance, giving an indignant scoff before crossing his arms over his chest and turning his back away from the desk, causing Reinhardt to roll his eyes dramatically as Torbjorn gave a hearty laugh.

“Yer making a chicken out of a feather there my boy.” the gadget on his arm whirled once.

“You can just tell by the way she stares in class that the girl has her mother down to the last bolt!” his chest thrummed with vibrant aged laughter.

“It would only be proper if we place her with the best in her year.” Reinhardt turned to face Jack, who appeared to be recreating The Thinker as he quietly regarded the file with much focus and consideration.

“...I believe so.”

Much heavy silence preceded his answer as his friends accepted his decision wordlessly, the only disruption being the steady strikes of the clock on the wall. Though it remained unsaid, all of them had acknowledged the potential that was present, especially the lion maned man who was now beaming cheerfully like the sun itself. 

“Now, who were the other students you were talking about?” Jack continued as he gathered another wad of paper together.

“Allow me to show you.” Reinhardt took the sheets from his hand, sifting through them as Jack uncapped a red marker and drew a tick next to Fareeha’s name.

\---

Tender warm lips pressed against her skin, floating gently along her neck to her defined jawline and finally to her lips as brown drowned in blue. Weaving a hand through the golden locks, she captured the pale hand stroking the mark on her face and slowly entwined their fingers together, relishing in the way a smile crept slowly along the smooth lips.

A comfortable weight pressed down on her chest as she buried her face in the sweet scent. She felt the warmth of creamy white skin as it melted into her strong embrace, sighing contently at the way the small breaths danced across her collarbone while gently whispering her name.

In the chaos, she found her. In this hour, the world was silent—patient as it allowed them to find solace in each other under the thin white covers as the dead of the night raged on.

Fareeha’s eyes snapped open in the pitch black of her room as her chest heaved with uneven breaths. The breeze from the window swept across her damp skin, sending cold shivers along her spine and to her fingertips.

 _“Yela'an.”_ She cursed silently to herself as she slammed a fist onto the covers in frustration.

Nearly a week had gone by in the face of new friendships and loads of coursework. After the mishap that was the assessment, Fareeha had in all her stubbornness forcefully discarded the memories of Angela to the back of her mind.

“ _What is wrong with you?”_

Now, the words echoed in her mind as she recalled the way the blonde’s expression twisted in exasperation. Anger seething through her veins, she grasped at the sheets before her, balling them up tightly in a fist before kicking her legs up and off the bed and stalking off towards the washroom.

In the quiet of the morning, the Egyptian quickly made to turn on the faucet and gather her clammy palms beneath the frigid rush of water, splashing her face without a care for the drops that dampened her clothing.

“What _is_ wrong with you, Fareeha?” she mumbled as she heaved a heavy sigh, eyes gazing hopelessly into the mirror at her drenched complexion. It was pathetic. _She_ was pathetic. There was no excuse for the way she was behaving—no excuse for the way she allowed her thoughts to drag her around aimlessly as if she were a dog on a leash. What would her mother think?

Grabbing a towel and drying her face off, Fareeha sped back to her room. Leaving the door open, she hastily changed into a fresh pair of shorts and a tank top, grabbing her gym bag and slinging it around her shoulders as she marched out of the room.

\---

The rough patterned steel of the bar bit ruthlessly into her fingers as she hoisted herself high above, arms shaking with tension as she tried to maintain the position. Readjusting her grip slightly, she allowed her body to lunge forward as her arms pushed themselves up and over the bar.

“Da, that’s eight.”

At the sound of the Russian’s voice, Fareeha gave a grunt as she tried to maintain her form while bending her arms and lowering herself down onto the floor. 

“Nicely done.” Zarya said while whipping off the towel slung over the shoulder.

Letting out a hoarse groan, the Egyptian rolled her shoulders as she wordlessly accepted the offer, wiping down her face once before murmuring a thanks. Perplexed, Zarya lifts a scarred eyebrow before striding over and following her friend to the set of metal doors that lead into the locker room.

“Amari.”

Hearing her friend’s heavy footsteps bounding towards her, Fareeha lazily turned her head to the side to acknowledge the presence of her pink haired friend.

“We are still eating lunch today, yes?”

“Sure. Of course.”

At the lack of response, the Russian stopped in her tracks, staring pensively at her friend as she set her bag on the bench.

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Fareeha asked while glancing at the pink haired woman briefly before returning her attention to the lock in her hands. She heard her friend give a huff in response.

“Do not give me that.” She said in her thick accent while approaching the Egyptian and seating herself down on the bench.

“Tell me, what is wrong?”

Hearing no response, the Russian set her chin down on her palm, watching the way her friend stood like a statue. She weighed her options wisely before opening her mouth to speak again.

“It is about Angela, da?”

Fareeha’s shoulders tensed at the sound of the name.

Instead of choosing to say something, she decided to remain silent as she fished out her gym bag and closed the locker gently, eyes cast on the tiles below.

She heard Zarya give a sigh as she got up from her seat and set a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“What happened that day—it is not your fault.” she started while staring at Fareeha in concern.

“I know that. It’s just—” the Egyptian sighed in exasperation as she couldn’t find the right words, her grip tightening around the rope of her bag as she turned around and sat on the bench.

“I don't know what's wrong with me.” She admitted as she clasped her fingers together and touched them to her forehead.

“I barely even know her.”

At the familiar sound of her phone buzzing, she dug her hand in her bag and fished out the device to check who it was.

“ _You excited for today? See ya in a bit!”_ Fareeha imagined Lena’s voice as she read the texts silently to herself.

Zarya stood patiently as she watched Fareeha slip her phone back into the bag, giving the strings a swift pull as she stood back up.

“I should get going. Lena’s waiting for me.”

Before she could depart, Zarya pulled her back gently by the shoulder, urging her to stay for awhile longer.

“Do not dwell on the past, Amari. You are not alone on this.” She reminded her carefully.

“Besides, it is not like people believe what happened.” the tuft of pink hair fell in front of her face as she grinned.

Fareeha gave a short huff and smiled to herself, shaking her head as she remembered the way her friend had tailed her loyally for an hour after the incident. She would explain  to her just how far Genji’s act was from being genuine and how no one would believe it after he came back with no injuries. When that attempt had failed, the Russian had doused her with an entire bottle of water, effectively shocking her out of her senses.

She was lucky to have met someone like Zarya.

“Thanks.” She said genuinely this time as she put her hands on top of her friend’s.

“No problem. You are my comrade.” The pink haired woman wrapped a strong arm around Fareeha’s shoulder and pulled her in close. She could smell the cool scent of the forest on her.

“Tell me your problems, and I hug you like big fuzzy Siberian bear!”

Fareeha laughed earnestly at the analogy. Waiting for her to gather her belongings from the locker, her mind dwelled on Lena’s text. She dug out her phone again and quickly tapped a response.

_“Excited? You're going to have to do better than that.”_

_\---_

“And so what you wanna do here with this bad boy…”

Fareeha winced at the bright noises of hammer clanging against metal that resonated throughout the class. Despite his dwarf-like stature, Torbjorn appeared to be quite sturdy for his age, being able to bunch together pieces of scrap in his stout arms in front of concerned eyes as he continued with his demonstration. Though there were definitely occasions where people would spring out of their seats to aid the Swedish man as he toppled over from the weight, today was not one of those days.

Fiery golden sparks buzzed about in the air with each whack of his iron hammer as the final piece of the turret was nailed firmly into place.

“This is the size of yer basic turret.” He explained, patting the machine on the gun.

Hopping down and off the table with a grunt, Torbjorn waddled around the desk with his short legs as he shook a geared arm at the much larger sentry unit on the other side of the room.

Audible gasps of surprise were heard as the class watched the machine unfold itself from its seated position and transform into a recon mobile unit, the bird that was resting so languidly on its gun was now fluttering onto its mechanical fingers as it trotted its way to its master.

“Woah,” Lena mouthed while seated next to the Egyptian, “I've seen one of those on the news before but never in person…”

The Egyptian nodded pensively in response. Everyone in the class had assumed it was a makeshift model of the originals used during the war. She herself had never seen a real Bastion unit in her life. Beyond hearing her mother groan about how annoying they were to deal with on the battlefield, she remembered studying about their subsequent annihilation after the Omnic Crisis during her years in high school. How this one survived, she had not the slightest clue.

“Bastion lad, be a good boy and lend your old man a hand up there, will ya?”

“Boop boop beep!” the rusted metal gears and plates that acted as its legs collapsed in on themselves in hard motions as the machine bent down and stretched a hand to the man, the bird now perching itself on its shoulder.

The class watched curiously as their teacher gave a word of thanks to his assistant and proceeded to hop onto its arm, asking it to position him near the board. Steadying himself carefully, the old man withdrew a piece of chalk from his dirty black work pants.

“As I've mentioned before, turrets are designed to ensure all-round defences on the battlefield.” He began scribbling a set of notes onto the black board as the rest of the students quickly followed suit. Unlike Satya and Winston’s ordely letters, the Swedish man had a large messy scrawl, incredibly fitting of his personality as Fareeha had noted. The gears in his mind were always turning, always focussed heavily on the task at hand. And though it was painfully obvious that the old man loved cracking witty jokes, if one were to fall asleep in class, he wouldn’t hesitate to deliver a nasty clunk to the head. 

“You want to position these babies carefully, less you want to waste precious pieces of scrap.” The old man chuckled lightly while finishing his diagram to emphasize the point.

“Let's say your team is positioned to defend here.” a large circle filled with tiny stick men were drawn on the other side of the battlefield.

“Then the ideal place to set them up would be areas with high elevation and good chokepoints.” The old man drew starch white rectangles on the board, finishing his diagram and clapping the chalk off his fingers.

By his signal, the Bastion unit lowers him back onto the ground gently while giving a few cheerful whirs.

“Now, does anybody know the difference between this and your standard Bastion unit?”

At the mention of its name, the machine cocked its head to the side, staring inquisitively at the short man who was busy examining the silent blank expressions on his students.

“Hm, maybe a question for next class.” His eyes darted once towards the digital clock on the wall as he stroked his impressive golden beard.

“Alright, yer all dismissed.” He gave a huff as the class immediately began to gather their books and make for the door at the sound of the bell.

As they followed the sea of chatter out the door, Fareeha felt a shiver run up her spine as she feels someone’s gaze in between her shoulders. Quickly angling her head back, she saw nothing but her teacher grumbling to himself while snatching up pieces of scrap from the metal table, Bastion dutifully whirring and holding his robotic palms out to help.

Shrugging, she turns to follow Lena as the Brit skips out the door.

_“Ana’s kid, eh?”_

Behind them, the Swedish man stood on the spot, stroking his beard with his free hand and smiling as he watches the brunette drag her friend out into the hallway.

_\---_

“Where _are_ they?” Lena’s lips pursed in thought as she squinted and scanned the crowd. Her taller friend found herself doing the very same as she searched for the head of pink hair.

“Oh, right there.” Fareeha responded to Zarya’s wave. The Russian appeared to be chatting animatedly with Lucio and Hana in the distance.

 _“_ Heya guys!” The brunette beamed as she and Fareeha arrived before them.

“Hello hello!” The DJ greeted as they both seated themselves.

“Okay so check it,” he said as he produced a brochure from his bag that had an intricate map and a dauntingly large legend drawn on.

“I was just tellin’ them about the club festival that's taking place tomorrow.” He explained to the two as they scanned the map.

“ _Sushi club…?”_ Fareeha’s eyebrows scrunched together as she took note of some of the bizarre names on the list.

“Ooh, Dumbledore’s Army sounds fun.” Lena said as she snorted alongside Hana.

“No way! The esports club is where all the actions at!” The auburn haired girl pointed at a blue square on the far right.

“Da, but the powerlifting club seems most impressive, no?” Zarya raised an eyebrow in challenge.

“Z, I'm pretty sure if everyone were as big n’ buff like you, they'd be thinking the same thing.” Lucio said casually as he unwrapped his sandwich.

Fareeha went down the list silently as her friends badgered on amongst themselves. As much of a jock that it makes her out to be, the only clubs she found herself attracted to during high school were sports clubs, namely those related to contact sports. That and excellent academics were the only things worthy of young Fareeha’s attention. Anything else was out of the question.

“What time is this going to be?” She turned towards Lucio.

“Tomorrow. Around four to six thirty. Seven tops.” He replied as he took a bite of his sandwich.

“I'm going for sure! Someone's gotta show those noobs who’s boss!” Hana announced, a fire burning wickedly in her eyes.

Fareeha smiled at the girl’s enthusiasm, remembering the way she talked with fervour when they all  first met at the lunch table. How she became a professional gamer, how her parents disapproved of such a lifestyle, and how they eventually shipped her off to the academy from Korea to use her skills to contribute to society—it was an amazingly hilarious string of events, and had explained just well enough how the girl had managed to enter the academy at the impressive age of sixteen.

 _“Get on my level scrub!”_   The words echoed in her mind as she recalled the way the girl with her tiny frame had defiantly flipped a boy off when he attempted to make advances on her during class, much to Satya’s annoyance.

How Zarya became friends with her, Fareeha had no idea.

“I'm in!” Lena chimed as she hooked an arm around Hana.

“Let's make that three.” Lucio said cooly.

“Four.” Zarya said without any hesitation. Hopefully the powerlifting club is up to her standards.

All eyes were on the Egyptian as she bore holes into the piece of paper before her. Suddenly realizing the unusual silence that fell over the group, Fareeha raised her head in concern.

“…What?” she questioned the expectant looks before her.

“So?” Zarya nudged her with her elbow.

“So…what?”

“Girl, you gotta stop spacin’ out on us here.” Lucio laughed as the rest of them joined in.

“Are you comin’ tomorrow or not?” Lena’s eyes widened with excitement as she leaned her elbows over the table.

“Oh.” The Egyptian shrugged.

“Yeah, sure. I don't see why not.” She said, still mildly confused as to why her friends were staring at her for so long.

\---

“You should all be very proud of your achievements.” the lion maned man announced as he set his arms on his hips.

Fareeha stood at attention in the sea of students who were now gathered in teams as they listened to the man before them respectfully. Next to her by some miraculous twist of fate stood her four friends, along with the cowboy she now knew as Jesse McCree. A little space in front of him stood the Shimada brothers, the green haired ninja smiling smugly in all his glory. Her stomach twisted at the memory as she took note of how the boy showed absolutely no sign of injury, wondering how he managed to act it out in front of the medics and everyone present in the gymnasium.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could feel the presence of Angela and the sharp glances that were being directed her way. Inhaling sharply, Fareeha clenched her fists together, suppressing a shiver as she recalled the dream from the morning.

The universe was definitely working against her.

“From today on, you will undergo training to become true allies of justice!”

The man took a moment of silence to regard the teams in front of him proudly with his lone eye as the rough sound of his voice filled the track stadium, the sun striking down brilliantly to commemorate the occasion.

“As you age through your years at this academy, you will be confronted with trials unlike anything you have ever experienced before. However, do not forget that you are never alone in your endeavours.” Reinhardt raised a fist to the sky.

“Do not forget the teammates who stand united by your side! Do not forget the power that lies in numbers!” He shook his fist once at the infinite blue overhead.

“For we at Overwatch are honour and glory. Together, we are unstoppable!”

A crash of cheers hit the students in unison as the gymnasium hollered wildly with fervour.

“Now,” Reinhardt raised a palm to quiet the group, “Your teacher will contact you tonight. Please arrive promptly to the destination at the specified time.”

“Understood?” He gave the first years a final once over as he let out a mighty roar.

“Dismissed!”

\---

“Phew! That old man really knows how to give a speech!” Lucio said while lacing his fingers behind the back of his neck.

“You don't say?” Lena added as the teams around them began to disband.

“I can't believe they put us all together!” Hana announced with slight hints of interest as she took out her pink game controller and began mashing away at the buttons again.

“No kidding. Remember all those theories goin’ around about how they were gonna do it?” Lucio casually leaned over Hana’s shoulder and took a peep at her game while cheering in hushed tones.

The dark skinned boy did have a point. During the assessment, Fareeha heard several students base their performances off of the many sorting theories that had floated around, although the most common explanation was that they would be placed in teams that were effectively balanced and therefore as flexible on the field as the individuals would allow.

But of all people, why did it have to be her?

The Egyptian attempted to steel herself after struggling under the blonde’s gaze for well over ten minutes. What could possibly be so interesting about her that Angela absolutely refused to tear her gaze away from?

Fareeha noticed how she was now occupied with speaking politely to a girl much shorter than her, with a bun of brown hair that was probably just as thick as the glasses resting on her face.

Shaking her head gently, the Egyptian cleared away the thoughts as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“You alright?” Zarya asked quietly so that their friends wouldn't pick up on the concern in her voice.

“Don’t worry about me. I'll be fine.” Fareeha nodded once as she took her gaze off the blonde.

As their own team began to disperse amongst the crowd, the duo followed the three laughing merrily in front of them as they discuss about their plans for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i shuffled around quite a lot of ideas as i wrote for this chapter lol  
> sorry for the lack of interaction between angela and fareeha this time around. its going to pick up after this chapter, i swear!


	6. That's My Nose, Thank You Very Much

A dry expanse of land stretched before them, cracks and wrinkles splitting the earth as the mobile vehicle hovered leisurely in the air. Juts of rocks riddled the field as intimidating shadows emerged under the glare of the sun. Along the curving road was a tiny aged gas station that looked like it was capable of collapsing with the slightest touch.

Fareeha squinted her eyes as she attempted to get a good idea of what was lying beyond the horizon, Lena standing by her side away from their group of friends and mimicking her expression as sweat trickled down their necks.

“I don't really know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't this.” The brunette mumbled.

“It's not much different from home.” the Egyptian smirked lightly as she turned around to face the front of the class.

Reinhardt was more or less in the same predicament as them, now flipping through a clipboard as he reviewed his instructions for the class. Their teammates were busying themselves idly as they waited, some engaging in new conversations and others taking care of their equipment and weaponry, which was modified to suit the occasion. What spoke most for the Egyptian in that moment was how she truly didn't feel empty handed or incompetent without the aid of various plates of steel strapped to her body or a device to fire projectiles.

Finally concluding his examination of his notes, Reinhardt flipped the pages back to their original order and tucked the clipboard under his massive arm, clearing his throat to signal the beginning of the class.

“The fact that each and every one of you arrived punctually today is very much appreciated.” He huffed.

“Again, I must congratulate you all on passing your assessment and being placed on your team.” He said, stroking his beard.

“For the next four years at the academy, you will be responsible for looking after each other to the best of your ability.”

As the man spoke on, Fareeha found herself smirking, thinking back again to the poster of the lion maned man in his prime that had decorated her wall. A symbol of bravery to her younger self, the heart that the man possessed when it came to pursuing justice had inspired her to do the very same throughout her childhood, much like her mother had. Now, she found it incredibly surreal that he would become a mentor to her.

Her suddenly thoughts drew back to her mother, the silent composure she treated her to whenever she had spoke about her inspirations. Clenching her fist gently, Fareeha pushed the thought away and focussed on what Reinhardt’s explanation.

“Now, we are gathered here today to commence your first exercise as a group.” He stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

“As many of you may already know, Overwatch graduates are offered jobs as agents and are then assigned to our Watchpoints stationed across the globe.”

“A common task that we are asked to perform is to escort materials and individuals to certain destinations.” He explained while flipping out his clipboard again.

“With this said, your very first exercise as a class will be to take turns and successfully complete this simulation.” He nodded once towards the stretch of land before them.

The atmosphere became laden with confusion as Reinhardt halted his explanation, watching over them patiently as he took note of the obvious bewilderment drawn on their expressions.

“Hold up now.” Jesse McCree growled as he glowered at the old man.

“Ya haven't even taught us nothin’, how do you expect us to move the darn thing?” he said, vocalizing everyone's confusion.

“I was just about to get to that, _mister cowboy_.” Reinhardt replied as he exaggerated the last two words. Snorts bubbled up from the crowd as Fareeha faced the ground, lips sealed tight as she tried to muffle her own amusement while Lena slapped a hand over her mouth. The cowboy gave an indignant huff as he allowed the man speak.

“To answer your question, it is quite simple. For this task, the payload will move if it senses friendly allies within a five meter radius, meaning that it is safe for the items or person to be escorted. Of course, you may leave its side to scout for what lies ahead, but at least one person must remain with the vehicle at all times.”

Before Jesse could open his mouth to interrupt him yet again, Reinhardt raised a quick finger to silence him, as if he already knew what was coming.

“Likewise, for the defending team to stop the payload, one person must also be within the five meter radius in order to be determined a threat.”

He turned to face the grizzly man, seeing him give a slight nod to confirm his understanding.

“Good. You will be divided into two teams.” The old man spoke on while bending down and picking up a box that rattled noisily with unknown contents.

 _“...Numbers?”_ Fareeha watched as he shook the box once.

“Take out a ball, and you will take turns escorting or defending this payload.” He gestured towards the floating vehicle that was humming with blue energy.

“Since this is your first lesson, if, and only IF someone remains on the payload when the timer ends, it will go into overtime, and you will be granted additional time to complete the task.” The lion maned man gave a huff.

“The team that fails their task will be required to run around the school ten times following the end of the class.”

“D-Did I just hear him say ten…?” Lena gulped beside her. Fareeha nodded solemnly in response, head dizzying from thinking about just how long that would take.

“Is that clear?”

Hearing no objections, Reinhardt walked forward and offered the box to the group.

“Come now, all of you. One by one.”

\---

“Are you alright?” Angela addressed the boy before him with concern.

“Yeah. Just some light tissue damage, so they say.” Genji smirked confidently at the blonde.

“Are you sure? It looked quite serious.”

The emerald haired teen give a laugh.

“Do not worry. I had only injured myself in the same spot as a kid.”

“You weren't in class for the past few days so I was worried.” Angela replied gently, “I can lend you my notes if you want.”

“That would be most enjoyable. Thank you Angela.”

Fareeha rolled her eyes at the sight. She found herself listening in intently on the situation as she stood in line waiting to draw her number, eyes fixed intently on the ground beneath her feet.

“Watcha lookin’ at?” Lena’s words doused the fiery annoyance that was kindling in the pit of her stomach.

“Wha—me? Nothing. Nothing at all.” The Egyptian waved her hands in front of her in denial.

“Hm…alright. Whatever you say.” Lena gave up as she stopped leering at her friend.

Fareeha watched as Lena shuffled the plastic balls around in the box, the way the Brit was looking away innocently as she drew her number. As she placed her own hand in the box and quickly took out her number, she could feel a pair of eyes gazing pensively down at her. Lifting her head, she met Reinhardt’s scarred eye as they held each other’s gaze for an uncomfortably long time. As the silence grew unprofessional, the man finally directed his gaze to the back of the group as Fareeha retreated to the rest of her friends wordlessly.

“Mei, aren't you warm wearing all of that bloody clothing?” Lena could practically feel the sweltering heat inside of the thick winter coat.

“Yes, but it is too late to change now.” The girl said hopelessly as she gave a pout.

“Don't you have anything else to wear?” Hana asked casually, fingers laced together behind her head.

“Do not worry! I can lend you one of my shirts, da?” Zarya placed her hands on her hips confidently.

“Thank you Zarya, but I think your shirts will be a little too big for me.” Mei giggled.

“Ayo Faree, what number didya get?” Lucio said as he greeted the Egyptian who was now walking towards them.

“Six.” She replied while throwing the hollow ball of plastic up and down in her palm, “You?”

“I got uh…two.” The boy said as he took out the number from his navy shorts.

“I can't wait to get into the fight!” Hana was fit to burst with excitement as Zarya gave her a pat on the head.

“Little sister is young, has good energy.” The Russian nodded once. Fareeha took note of the large gun that was strapped to her back.

“Speaking of that, did you guys bring anything?” Lena said while waving one of her dual pistols in the air.

“Uhuh! MEKA is with me no matter where I go!” The young gamer said, showing off her wrist and the glowing watch-like device that was strapped to it. Fareeha tried to remember the strange but brief conversation they had regarding Hana’s robotic steed and how it apparently fell from the sky whenever she called for it.

“I've got my blaster, that's pretty much it.” Lucio spun the device around his fingers once.

“Me too.” Mei said as she drummed her fingertips along her endothermic blaster.

“Da, and me with my particle cannon.” The pink haired woman shifted the strap on her shoulder once.

The five turned to Fareeha as the Egyptian stared back just as expectantly.

“I have myself. Shouldn't that be enough?” She blinked.

“…….”

“…What?”

“Oh luv, what are we ever going to do about you?” Lena teased as the rest of them let out a sigh.

“You seriously don't have anything?” The Brazilian lifted his eyebrows in surprise, watching as his friend shook her head in response.

“I suppose it is time to put all the hours spent in the gym to use then.” Zarya smirked arrogantly as Fareeha jabbed her with an elbow. The Russian nudged her teasingly back as Reinhardt’s voice boomed in front of them.

“Four! Six! Eight! Five! You shall be attacking first!” The order snapped them to attention as he drew a finger down the clipboard.

“One, seven, three, and two will be on defence!”

“Well, I guess we’ll be seeing you guys on the other side.” Lucio hoisted his blaster onto his shoulder as he shot a smile to Zarya.

“Loser will buy everyone lunch.” The Russian offered.

“Deal.” Fareeha and Lucio agree in unison.

“Go get ‘em tiger!” Lena thumped the Egyptian on the back, “We’ll be cheering for you guys!” she said while pumping her fist in the air.

“Attacking and defending teams proceed to your stations! The rest of you please follow me.” Reinhardt instructed as he gathered the team together and ushered them towards the viewing area downstairs.

Inside, they finally found themselves away from the oppressive heat waves. Lena sighed in content as the powerful air conditioning brushed against the hair at the back of her head.

Watching the multiple screens as they blinked to life, Reinhardt spoke loudly into the tiny mic between his fingers.

“The attacking team will have five minutes to escort the payload to the finish line! If the timer proceeds into overtime, you must remain within distance of the objective or else the fuse will burn out. Is that clear?”

The old man watched as some of his new students nodded in response.

“Splendid.” He confirmed as he inhaled once through his nose before sending out a command at the top of his lungs.

“Athena! Begin the countdown!”

_“Very well.”_

The ceiling before them flashed blue as a symbol sparkled to life with the words ATHENA aligned neatly on the bottom. Its pixels shimmered on the black background as the mature voice of a woman greeted them.

“HOLY SHIT.” Hana, who was busy watching the screen screamed in surprise as she figured out the origin of the voice.

“Bloody ‘ell…” Lena mouthed the words as she gaped up at the ceiling.

“Athena here was designed by my good friend Winston. She is what keeps the school running.” The giant man said as he introduced the AI.

“Without her, we would be in a very big…what do you young ones call it?” Reinhardt scratched his chin as he tried to recall the word.

“Pickle! Yes, we would all be in a very big pickle if it were not for Athena, you see.” He explained as he regarded the symbol.

 _“Oh Reinhardt, you are still as flattering as always, I see.”_ The class laughed at the earnest and good-humoured nature of the AI.

“Why, thank you. I do try my best from time to time.” The lion maned man laughed as he returned his attention back to the screens.

\---

_“Attack commences in thirty seconds.”_

“It's good to know that you will be on our team, Angela!” The short Chinese woman beamed.

“And I with you, Mei.” The blonde laughed good-naturedly.

“Although…” she trailed off as she nervously regarded the two in front of them.

Fareeha stood in place, gaze locked strictly on the steel door before her. By her side stood the cowboy as he shot her menacing glares from the corner of his eyes, an air as tense and as unnerving as the Vice Principal’s gaze standing in between the two.

“You best not be slowin’ me down.”

“That should be my line.” The Egyptian returned cooly.

Mei’s lips pursed slightly as she watched the two with concern. Readjusting the thick rimmed glasses that sat on her nose with her free hand, she turned back to Angela, a worried expression on her face.

“Those two don’t seem to get along very well, do they?”

“I’m not quite sure.” The blonde replied as she gripped her glowing rod in her pale hands.

“Whatever the case, we must both promise to do our best, no?” She smiled sweetly.

“Hey!” The cowboy barked, causing the two to jolt slightly in their places.

“Y’all best fight as well as y’all talk or else I'll blow your heads off, y’hear?”

Angela’s eyebrows knit together as she shot Jesse a glare, fingers tightening around her caduceus staff.

“Don't worry about us. That belt of yours will distract them long enough for us to complete the task. Just make sure you don't hit yourself in the head with that flash bang of yours, ja?” She smiled sweetly as her eyes darted once towards the materials hanging from his belt as the cowboy clenched his teeth in annoyance, whipping his head around while cursing under his breath.

Fareeha smirked at the comment, unaware of how feisty the blonde really was and how deceptive outer appearances were at this academy.

_“You idiot, what are you doing?”_

Her thoughts suddenly jammed themselves into her head, memories of the assessment flooding back into her mind, halting her amusement and freezing her heart over as she straightened herself.

_“Ten, nine, eight—”_

She cannot forget what she was here for.

_“Seven, six, five—”_

No distractions. She cannot let anything cause her to stray from what needs to be done.

_“Four, three two…”_

She places her right foot behind her, preparing to bolt straight out the door.

_“One.”_

The doors slide open easily despite how rusted they appeared to be, Jesse doing a cat roll onto the red sand as he marched off to the payload lying in wait. Outside, she could catch glimpses of Lucio and Zarya, along with the Shimada brothers.

_“Attack commences. Escort the payload.”_

As she steps onto the soil, a wave of green energy sends her reeling into the wall, mercilessly drawing the air from her lungs as her vision, now splattered with black ink, catches sight of Lucio as he waved apologetically and skated back to his teammates gathered at the payload. Groaning, she ignored Angela’s call as she takes off after the cowboy yet again, watching as he rounds a pair of boulders while he clips off a flash bang with his hand, the other one firing off fake bullets as he aimed them with precision that would put the average sniper to shame. An electric blue surge of energy surrounded him as Angela hurried to his side, maintaining a safe distance away from fire.

“Thanks darlin’. He said as he gave a puff of smoke, raining bullets at the green blur in front of him. As Genji readied to strike him from close quarters with his shorter wooden blade, the cowboy nailed him in the chest with a push kick that sent him hurling back onto the ground.

Now too spread out and in danger of being singled out, the defending team retreats as Jesse stakes his claim on the payload, Angela rolling her eyes once as she kept up a steady pace behind him.

Seizing the chance, Fareeha dodges and takes cover on the other side, searching for anything in the environment that she could use to her advantage. An arrow whizzes past her head and bounces itself from the stone wall while she snaps a sturdy tree branch from its home, peering from behind the rock to see who the archer was.

“Target practice.” Hanzo hissed as he withdrew another three arrows, and launching them at the girl behind Fareeha.

Snapping her head back to warn the girl as she heard her give a yelp, the Egyptian felt a sudden chill bite at her cheeks as a massive ice wall erected itself between her and Mei.

“What the—“

The fortification collapsed, riddling the road with clumsy chunks of ice as the sun thawed them to puddles. A slightly blunt icicle stretches out from one end of her blaster as she aimed it carefully at Hanzo. As the projectile sped towards his body, a violet barrier enveloped him as the piece shatters at the contact, gentle flecks of winter flying in the air.

“Don’t worry about me! Let's get to the payload!”

Nodding, Fareeha bolted to the sleek black vehicle, whose red lights now flashed blue as the four of them surrounded the area around it.

“Call for me if you ever get hurt! I'll have your back!” Angela signalled to them as she attached her beam to Mei.

“Piece o’ cake.” The cowboy said while readjusting his hat.

“We’re doing well. Let’s keep it up.” Fareeha said, gripping her branch as the air became still around them.

The thick desert air burned her nose. Even though this was a simulation, it had flawlessly mirrored the circumstances in all its entirety. Her eyes itched with grains of sand as the breeze bit at her skin, the payload drifting along swiftly as they neared the checkpoint. Fareeha squinted as her tears stung her eyes, barely seeing the glowing yellow square hovering outside of the other team’s entrance.

As the air around them became uncomfortably silent save for the thrumming of the engine, the Egyptian felt sparks dance in her stomach with anticipation and uneasiness.

“Two minutes remaining.”

“Something seems…off.” She picked up in Angela’s accented voice speaking behind them.

“Are they regrouping?” Fareeha’s heart skipped a beat at the thought.

“I'm going on ahead, watch the car.” As if reading her thoughts, Jesse sprang into action as he disappeared into the shadows of a nearby tunnel.

“Wait—“the Egyptian reached a hand out to try and catch the hot-headed man as he melted into the shadows.

“Does he seriously think he can take all of them on?”

Spotting Hanzo preparing to aim another arrow as the car rounded the corner, the cowboy leaped off of the cliff, landing and spreading his weight with a roll as he threw the flash bang onto the ground before him.

“Nii-san!” Genji called as he dashed towards the cowboy, his blade drawn and ready as Jesse fired six volleys of shots at his brother, each aimed in areas bent on making him yield as his bow rattled to the ground.

“That idiot.” Fareeha cursed as she took off at the sight of the elusive ninja, leaving Mei and Angela to escort the vehicle.

She intercepted Genji’s strike with her branch, the wood splitting mercilessly beneath the sturdiness of its opponent. Gritting her teeth, she steeled herself as she let Jesse come in with a white-knuckled fist.

“You’re going to have to try better than that.” Genji smirked as he abruptly drew his blade back, turning instead to meet Jesse with a winding side kick to the body. Fareeha cursed as she watched the cowboy’s body fly into a nearby wall, preparing to go hand to sword with the ninja.

_“Sixty seconds remaining.”_

Annoyance curled like a fire around her fists as Genji made a feint and swung at her legs with his katana. Wrapping her fingers around the blade, she caught a punch with her right palm as she glared daggers at the teen.

“Did you enjoy my gift for you last time?” He taunted as a smirk spread across his lips. Fareeha’s fingers tightened around the blade, blood seeping from the grip onto the sizzling ground as she pulled him in closer.

“Why aren't you hitting back?” He sneered as the Egyptian fumed with anger.

“Behind us!”

Before she could strike again, Jesse’s voice caught her attention as she swivelled around.

“Whoops, sorry! Comin’ through!”

The Egyptian’s eyes widened as she saw Lucio skating along the rock wall, bouncing off the surface and jumping to the payload, a steady barrier being applied by Zarya from behind, shielding any blows from Angela’s pistol.

Fareeha watched as the dark skinned boy hopped over the thick wall of ice, a pulse of green emanating from his blaster as he pushed Angela and Mei from the vehicle.

_“Thirty seconds remaining.”_

“You idiots! Stay next to the damn car!” Jesse yelled as he prepared to run over. An arrow lodged itself in the ground at his feet, causing him to turn around and match the gaze of Hanzo who now aimed his bow at him.

“You samurai fuck.”

A wave of horror washed along her skin as Fareeha as she charged back to the vehicle. A blur of green trailed her and delivered a swift slash of wood across her backside midway, forcing the Egyptian to fall to her knees.

“Fareeha!” She heard Angela call as Genji raised his arms over his head for the finishing blow.

_“Curse my luck.”_

Fiercely catching the sword with her bare hand, Fareeha swept her legs under Genji’s as she watched him collapse briefly to the ground. Wrenching the weapon out of his grasp, she allows Jesse to fire a sharp pellet into Genji’s arm, causing him to temporarily lose a grip on the smaller weapon in his other hand. Fareeha shoots Jesse a thankful glance as the cowboy narrowly dodges a furious arrow from Hanzo.

“Don't just stand there! Get your ass to the payload!” He yelled.

She didn't need to be told twice.

Grabbing Genji’s two swords while Jesse occupied the brothers, Fareeha bolted at Lucio and Zarya as they stalled Angela and Mei from the payload. The pink haired woman kept them in the air mercilessly with a blast of deep violet, its waves of energy drawing in any substances within a large radius.

As the Lucio fired another familiar pulse of green energy, the Egyptian dodged to the side as she closed the distance between them, swiping at the blaster in his hand. The device skittered across the ground as she lunged after it. Claiming the weapon, she threw away the long sword as she charged at Zarya, striking with the shorter blade as the Russian blocked the attack with her arm.

_“Ten, nine, eight—“_

Holding the blaster to her friend’s mid-region, she fired off a steady blast that sent her hurling backwards towards Lucio.

_“Seven, six, five—“_

“Get the fuck on it!” Jesse growled as he dodges the arrow speeding past his head.

_“Four, three, two…”_

“Contest it. Contest it.” Fareeha screamed at herself as she urged her muscles to work harder.

Her heart sang in relief as she watched a cocoon of ice wrap itself around Mei as she hopped onto the payload. Zarya growled in frustration as she slowly backed away to Lucio while attempting to slice through the freezing shell with an enormous laser from her cannon, its dense frigid walls refusing to crumble beneath the assault.

_“One.”_

_“Overtime.”_

In the viewing room, Hana and Lena watched intensely as the fuse on the screen began burning.

“It ain’t over now until that fuse burns out, right? The Brit’s eyes widen.

“That's correct.” Reinhardt’s lone eye fixed on Fareeha as he watched her urge the payload forward with her friends.

A golden surge of energy engulfs her as she breathes a sigh of relief.

“Thanks.” She says to the blonde behind her while refusing to turn around. Angela nods silently in response, her eyes settled on the woman before her, whose shoulders heaved with effort.

As the vehicle prepared to slip into the golden marker, Genji makes a last ditch attempt to stop the aggressors as he dived at Fareeha, nailing her in the face with his fist as they both tumble away from the payload. She shifts her hips, flipping herself over the ninja as she expects him to do the same. Effectively baiting him with his own impulsiveness, she allows them to stray from the payload as it enters the checkpoint.

Constructing another wall in between the defending team, Mei reaches into her thick coat, unveiling a medium sized bot that she now lobbed into the air.

“Dòngzhù! Bùxǔzǒu!”

The bot settled above the wall, its insides whirring crazily as a flurry of snow erupted in a wide circle around the opposing team, effectively freezing them in place as the payload finally eased past them into the checkpoint.

“Payload escorted. Exercise complete.”

“No!” Genji cried as he realized the trap he had fallen into.

_“Kouno kusokurae ga!”_

Blind with fury and embarrassment, the boy cursed as he nailed Fareha in the face again and again. She could feel her nose give away from the force of her blow, her face searing with pain as she grit her teeth, refusing to raise a hand as her head thumped into the ground below.

“Hey! It's over! He can't do that!” Hana raged as the hairs on Reinhardt’s back stood on end.

“We have to help her!” Lena said, blinking out of the room without another word as Hana and Reinhardt quickly followed suit.

Reaching back for another blow, Genji found himself being hoisted up into the air by his armpits as Zarya hurls him to the side, her eyes lit with fury as the x-shaped scar on her face burned.

“Amari! Are you all right?” Her pink haired friend leaned over her, a hand drifting across her face as it attempted to examine the wound, the rest of their teammates rushing over.

“You idiot! What were you thinking?” Hanzo practically screamed at his brother who was now recovering from the throw.

“Fareeha! Are you alright?” Mei gasped as she saw the blood soaking her shirt, Angela racing to her side.

“Don’t move.” The blonde instructed as the Egyptian struggled to sit up, eyes squinting in pain as her cheeks flushed red from the burning sensation spreading across her face.

“This is all your damn fault.” She could faintly hear Jesse growl as he glared at Mei.

“What? But I—“

“If you were any better we woulda gotten that car to the finish line a whole lot faster!” He yelled in her face, eyebrows knit together in agitation as he pointed the gun at her.

“Fareeha! Sto—“Angela attempted to stop the Egyptian as she intercepted the two, her hand gripped tightly around the weapon aimed above her heart, blood splattering everywhere as she mustered the strength to speak.

“Leave her alone.” Drips of blood flew in the air as she spoke.

“If you didn't run off like that then none of this would have happened.” She growled, her vision growing blurry as she tried her best to steel herself in front of the cowboy, whose head now sizzled with fury.

Jesse opened his mouth to speak again, and before Fareeha could register what he said, strokes of black surrounded her vision, her knees giving out beneath her as she teetered backward, feeling strong hands catch her before she could hit the ground.

“Take her to the nurse’s office, hurry!” Reinhardt said as Zarya gathered her friend up in her arms.

“Mr. Wilhelm, I am able to—” Angela began, only to find herself cut off by a hand in response.

“It is quite alright, Miss Ziegler.” He assured her, “She will be fine under our nurse’s care.”

“We will need you here in case anything like this happens again.” He continued, glaring menacingly at the green haired ninja who was now staring solemnly at the ground.

Clenching her teeth in frustration, Angela’s bloodied fingers curl around the staff as Mei rubs her back tenderly.

\---

“Miss Amari?”

“Miss Amari.”

Her eyes creak open at the disgustingly sweet voice that was floating in quiet din of the room.

Waking up to thin red glasses resting atop an even more fragile nose, Fareeha watched the hazel eyes smile gently at her, short tufts of jet black hair in a pixie cut dusting her rosy cheeks as her full red lips coated with crimson lipstick curved into a grin.

“How are you feeling?” The woman whispered.

Her mind swam in a blurry haze of confusion as she searched for the right words, her tongue feeling incredibly clumsy as she croaked out an answer.

“Fantastic.”

The laughter hammered uncomfortably at her head as she focussed on her own breathing. In, out, in…

Long fingers reached up to brush away the stray strands of brown locks that obstructed her vision, making the Egyptian’s skin tingle with uneasiness at the touch.

“I must say,” she heard the woman gave a sigh as she felt her eyes examine her carefully, “I was quite worried when I saw all that blood when your friend brought you in.”

_“Oh so she’s…”_

“Nurse.” Fareeha said hoarsely, her surroundings becoming gradually more familiar with her as it slowly came into focus, “You’re the…”

“Nurse. Yes.” The woman replied, “You may call me Ms. Rouselle.”

The Egyptian repeated the name to herself before slowly applying pressure to the stiff bed below her, pushing herself gently back into her elbows. Looking down, she sees her bloodied shirt now replaced by one of her softer white ones, wondering how it got there in the first place and feeling vaguely violated at the thought of someone changing her while she was unconscious.

“What time is it?” She asked Rouselle who had a hand pressed against her lower back.

“Currently a bit past noon.” The nurse replied.

“Your friend with the brown hair brought you the shirt.” She said, “She was quite quick about it too.”

“It did not take much to fix the damage that was done.” She explained. It took Fareeha brief two seconds to realize that she was talking about her nose as she brought a hand up to inspect the damage, finding a starch white bandage on the bridge as the rest of it appeared to be mostly intact.

“You kids are always taking it so far with your simulation training.” Rouselle chided while spinning around in her chair and returning to her desk riddled with papers. Fareeha takes note of the way she tucks a complicated looking diagram back in a folder and into her desk as she wheels back around to face her expectantly.

“Nanotechnology is only so advanced at the moment, after all.” Her lips stretch tightly into a smile.

“Well, it appears that you'll be fine for the most part. Although if I were you, I would expect some headaches for awhile.”

Fareeha nodded dumbly in reply as she eased herself off the mattress, taking a few seconds to steady herself while thinking about class. Their first class with Reinhardt was scheduled to take the entire day, after all, with a break in between for lunch. She wondered if her friends would be waiting for her.

“Now, do you feel good enough for me to let you go?” Rouselle stood as Fareeha was already making her way to the door.

“Yeah. Yes. Thank you very much.” The Egyptian nodded dumbly as the doors slid open before her.

“Alright. Take care. Let me know if something comes up.” The nurse waves her out as Fareeha hurriedly makes her way down the hall, glad to be away from her gaze at last.

\---

“FAREHAAAAA.” Lena wailed as she leapt into her friend’s arms, causing the Egyptian to stumble back slightly from the weight. As the brunette buries her face in her friend’s chest, she finds herself joined by her other friends as Zarya, Hana, and Lucio all stick themselves onto her.

“I was so worried!” The Brit nearly sobs.

“It is good to see you okay, comrade.” Zarya sniffs.

“Girl, I could not believe my eyes when I saw what he was doing to you.” Lucio admits as Hana chimes in.

“Yeah! What an asshole! Just because he was stupid and jumped at you in the first place.” She declared her resentment in the middle of the cafeteria.

“Huh…" Feeling glances targeting them from every corner of the room, the Egyptian tried her best to reassure her friends of her well-being as she eased them into their seats.

“Here, for your victory.” Zarya says as she hands her a sandwich. She takes it gratefully, realizing just how hungry she actually is as she rips the plastic packaging off.

“How was the exercise?” Fareeha asks as she begins to take a bite.

“We went through a couple more rotations, but nothing much.” Lena says.

“The ol’ man says he’s gonna go through our mistakes in the afternoon.” She adds while Fareeha tears into the sandwich.

“Hm.” The Egyptian swallows as Zarya wraps an arm around her shoulder.

“How is head? Any problems? I break foolish boy’s neck if yes.”

“I'm fine, don't worry about me.” Fareeha waves off her concerns, “Probably just a few headaches at the most.”

“So…you still good for that club fest after class?” Lucio slides the topic in with as much subtlety as he could possibly manage, “It'd be a real bummer if you weren't there.”

“Don't count me out just yet.” she laughs lightly.

“Aww yeah!” Lena cheers enthusiastically.

“Let's go beat up some noobs!” Hana laughs evilly alongside the Brit.

“Better eat now, get energy back for fun later.” Zarya said as she rested a chin on her palm.

Smiling, Fareeha began finishing up her meal as the conversation around her went back to their exercises, snowballing into insane bouts of laughter as her friends recalled their various moments of panic. In the midst of this, she found her mind drifting silently back to Angela—how she watched after her when they were both on the payload, and the worried expression on her face as she examined her wounds. She remembered the feather light touches of the blonde across her face as she tried to examine her wounds.

Fareeha sighed to herself.

_“What did I do to deserve this?”_

\---

 

**Atlas State, America**  
**Overwatch Academy**  
**3:00AM**

“Who is this?”

The voice of Jack Morrison boomed along the walls of his room as he struggled in vain to understand the crackling noises on the other line.

“Helix…attack…Talon.” The voice became fainter by the second.

“What? What about Talon!?” The ex-soldier clutched the phone tightly, pressing it even closer to his ear.

“Anubis…AI…help.” The man’s eyes widened as a series of gunshots rang in the background of the call, his heart’s pace beginning to quicken as his mind began to piece the words together.

“Hey—hey!” He tried to get the attention of the man on the other line, “Where are you? Stay on the line! I'll send reinfor—“

Silence.

Slamming the receiver back into place, he smacks the table with his fist in frustration as he storms over to his laptop and forces it to come to life.

For the first time in many years in the dead of the night, Jack Morrison was afraid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> angela secretly cares about fareeha's nose v much  
> the payload struggles are real yo  
> thanks for reading you guys! i cant wait to show you what comes next!


	7. Let's Take A Break

 

Heavy dampened clouds rolled across the sky as the stars sprinkled over the veil of the night. Fall was coming—the gentle breeze began to bite more, the sun’s rays now bleak instead of fulfilling, rarely living to its full potential as it sinks back into the haze of dusk. Each breath carried sharp doses of rain and grass, invigorating the senses and polishing the mind.

Focused azure orbs hovered over thick abundant sheets completed with shorthand and notes on the history of The Omnic Crisis as Angela nibbled on her lip. The distant hoot of an owl in the lanky arms of a nearby tree accompanied her thoughts as she recited the highlighted information before her, mumbling slowly as her mind constructed images of what was being said.

The sudden noise of a card being accepted and locks clicking prompted her attention to the door as it slid open with a press of air, Hana waltzing in as she shrugged her bag off her shoulder.

“Angie! I'm back!” The auburn haired girl declared to the empty spaces of their room.

“Welcome back.” Angela smiled and pushed her chair back so she could get a better look at her friend.

“It was so fun! You missed out on so much!” The girl beamed as she zipped open her bag and whipped out a wide variety of coloured flyers. Gazing at the papers curiously, Angela stood up in her chair and stretched languidly, a content groan tickling her throat as she let out a sigh.

“So, tell me about what happened.” She said causally as she made her way over to the small kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with some warm water.

“Oh. My. God.  You won’t believe how many scrubs there are in the eSports club!” Hana said while throwing her hands up in the air.

“We played a couple rounds of LoL and they fed so much!” Angela nodded quietly as she tried to remember what all the terms meant. After a week of moving in with Hana, she's already familiarized herself with enough videogame jargon to fill an entirely new dictionary.

“But it did feel pretty awesome when I got to kick their butts.” The girl boasts and her complexion  glows with pride as the blonde rolls her eyes.

“Well, as long as you had fun.” Angela huffs playfully at her roommate’s enthusiasm.

“Yeah! And you wouldn't believe how strong Zarya and Fareeha are! So many sports teams were just _begging_ them to join!”

Angela’s heart skips a beat at the name. Fareeha Amari. She recalls their first meeting—the way she stared at her with those round doe eyes and the tattoo that marked her face. How the taller girl had appeared behind her in the hallway, and how she in all her embarrassment slapped the Egyptian across the face. She remembers watching her injure Genji during the assessment, the stoic tone of her voice as she thanked her during the exercise and how she defended Mei from Jesse’s frustration despite how much pain she was probably in.

Her stomach twisted at the memory of the blood pooling onto her fingers. Truly, it was unlike her to ponder on one person so much, but she would be lying if she were to say that Fareeha’s character and behaviour were not matters that did not intrigue her. Not everything the Egyptian did lined up with how she acted with the people around her, and it was almost questionable at times.

They always seemed to find their way next to each other.

Angela nibbled on her lip as she gently placed the steaming cup of water on the table, smiling gently as Hana went on with the events of her afternoon.

“Oh yeah, I got you some stuff, dunno if you'll like it though.” Hana says as she slaps a hand onto the table, reaching for one of the flyers and handing it to Angela.

The blonde takes the flyer and examines it, her free hand pressing its fingertips on the untouched metal of the table, spreading out the numerous sheets before her and reading out their names and features as she flipped them open one by one.

“Explosive Lego Club…” her eyebrows scrunched together.

“They allow things like this?” She didn't know what was more astounding—the fact that a club as dangerous as this existed or the fact that Hana thought she'd be interested in anything that it had to offer.

“I guess.” Hana shrugs, “Apparently it was founded by one of the custodians. Jamie something.” The girl said while sifting through other flyers.

“The badminton team looks promising.” Angela comments as she pulls out a chair and seats herself.

“I actually played quite a lot through high school.” She mutters as she flips the flyer open.

“Huh, really? I thought science was your one and only love.” Her friend comments as she laces her fingers behind her head and tilts her seat back.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Angela lifts an eyebrow in response.

“Oh oh! I think you'll _love_ this one!” Hana snapped out of her relaxed composure as she eagerly shuffled the papers around, changing the subject and giggling as she picked up a flyer for the cheerleading team, holding it out in front of the blonde’s face.

“Ah—what?” Angela’s pale complexion flushes a few shades of dark red as her eyes glance at the dazzling pom-poms.  Forcing her eyes closed, she pressed Hana’s hand back down onto the table.

“I—no. Just no.” She stumbles over the words as Hana flashes her a sly grin.

“Just imagine all the hot people you'll meet.” Her friend says while leering over the table.

“Hana!” The blonde glares at her roommate as she watches her clutch her stomach in laughter. Heaving a sigh, she playfully rolls up the advertisement and smacks the younger girl over the head with it, a smirk pulling insistently on her lips.

As the laughter died down, Hana gave a yawn as she raised her arms above her head.

“Man I'm beat! What are we having for dinner tonight?” She throws her head up to the ceiling as her limbs practically melt to the floor.

“We have some leftovers, although there might still be some time to go shopping.” The blonde says as she glances once at the fridge.

“Let's just go with leftovers, I've got a stream to do tonight.” Her roommate says as she makes her way to the fridge.

“…What about the test tomorrow?”

“Huh? What test?”

“The beginning of The Crisis.”

“…..Nah. I'll be fine.” Hana waves her concerns off.

“Who’s got time for a test when they have fans to please?” She winks at Angela and gives her a thumbs up as the blonde smacks her own face with a hand.

 

\---

 

 

“You may leave after you've completed the exam.” Reinhardt states as Angela’s eyes ran over the page that was covered with crisp blank lines just waiting to be filled.

Humming gently in thought, the blonde flawlessly burned through each question, her pen’s blue ink flowing faster than the currents of her mind while the minute hand sped by dutifully. It was a tremendous help how charged with focus the class was as it shook with intense silence, and as the minute hand struck nine forty-five in the morning, Angela promptly sorted her sheets that were now soaked with knowledge, tapping them twice on the table as she stood up from her seat and placed them in the wire basket on Reinhardt’s desk.

Raising his eye from the papers in his hands, the old man gazed at her curiously from the top of his tiny round glasses.

“Miss Ziegler, what a surprise.” He gave an amused little huff as Angela regards him with slight hints of confusion.

“I would have expected nothing less.” His thick accent resounded deeply in his chest as he whispered to her in the quite of the room, eyes crinkling together as he regarded her with a smile.

“Oh.” The blonde’s lips blossom into a smile.

“It is rather difficult not to study hard for such an interesting course.” She admits, giggling gently while covering her mouth with delicate fingers.

“Ah, what I wouldn't give for there to be excellent students like you.” Reinhardt replies jokingly as a familiar pink haired woman appears behind Angela and places her test in the bin.

“Now, run along. I shall see you again in the afternoon.” He said while shooing her away gently.

“Enjoy your lunch.” The old man nods at her reply as her boots click quietly along the floor to the exit, the busy hallway sending her off in the direction of the library.

 

\---

 

She should have stuck with ballet lessons as a kid.

Angela lets out a weak grunt as she struggles to place the bulky volume back onto the shelf, her toned legs stretching fruitlessly as she attempts to gain a few more centimetres in height.

In the warmly lit comforts of the library, she found a much larger shadow swallowing the one cast by her own frame as fingers decorated with pink nail polish lift the book from her grasp and seamlessly return it to its home.

Not expecting the sudden helping hand, Angela turns around to express her appreciation to the towering figure behind her.

“Oh.” she realizes silently as her eyes fall on the familiar head of fiery pink hair, eyes glancing once at the x-shaped scar to confirm the identity of the person who was now smiling down on her.

“You look like you needed helping hand.” Zarya admits as she shifts her shoulders once, readjusting the stack of novels tucked under her muscular arm.

Angela giggles her thanks as she bends down and retrieves the remainder of her last library trip, cradling them to her chest as she looks up to the Russian expectantly.

“I was just about to do some light reading, would you like to join me?” She offers, smiling sweetly.

“Da, of course.” Zarya nods as they make their way to the empty study tables.

As they set their novels down, Angela gives the Russian a once over, taking interest in the different tattoos that coated her shoulder and arm, now on display thanks to the grey muscle shirt she was wearing with the words “ _In Russia, weight lifts you”_ stamped on along with a barbell. Her blue eyes shimmered with amusement as she watches Zarya plop down onto a chair.

“Do you come here often?” the blonde asks as she seats herself.

“Whenever I have time, yes.” The Russian adjusts a strand of pink hair that sweeps her forehead as she gave a nod.

“Why do you ask?” She inquires while raising an intrigued eyebrow.

“Ah, oh, I…” Angela stumbles for words as she laughs nervously.

“I just didn't imagine you to be that kind of person.”

The fluffiest and lightest of laughter made Angela’s eyes go wide with astonishment as Zarya reclined her head, chuckling merrily until she let out a content sigh. Angela remained silent, slightly expecting the pink haired woman to be insulted.

“Da, I get that a lot.” Zarya reassures her as the blonde gives a sigh of relief.

“I enjoy philosophy very much, ever since I was a little girl.” The Russian admits. Hearing such news made Angela experience a surge of happiness, and allows her to see a new side to her teammate—one that was much more than just pride in brute strength. It was elegant, appreciative, understanding.

“Perhaps you should attend one of Professor Tekhartha’s lectures.” The blonde muses, fingers brushing idly along the soft pages of her novel, “I've heard that his classes are incredibly eye-opening.”

“You are making a great understatement.” Zarya states as she leans over the table, eyes cemented seriously as they bore into Angela’s.

“I have friend—always staying up late to play with those electronic video games, so always asleep in class.” She starts.

“After receiving metal ball to the face, he got big bump on head and never slept in class again.”

The blonde bursts into a fit of giggles as she clutches her stomach lightly, thinking of Hana who was probably still stranded in class gazing impossibly at a question. Zarya pushed off the desk and settled once more into her seat, watching Angela’s light-hearted laughter as she looks proudly at a job well done.

A gradual quietness begins to settle between them as they both decide that it was time to begin reading. Angela digs out her glasses as she sets them on her thin nose while Zarya spreads open her novel on the desk, crossing her arms as she begins to absorb the information. They swim through calm minutes of listening to the second hand of the clock beat away, the only interruptions the swishing of the automatic doors as the occasional student drifts in and out.

As lunch nears, Angela clears her throat, evidently calling on Zarya’s attention as the Russian eyes her curiously while emitting a gentle hum from her throat. The blonde nibbles her lip tentatively, gaze focussed on her page number as she draws in a slow breath.

Just as Zarya was about to return to her paragraph, Angela opens her mouth to speak, the words rolling off her tongue carefully.

“How…is Fareeha? Is she alright?”

The Russian lifts her eyebrows slightly, staring at the blonde briefly and much to her concern as she draws in a breath and exhales a simple answer.

“She is alright, I guess.” Her strong shoulders give a shrug as she redirects her gaze back to the words on the page.

“Nurse said only minor headaches. Nothing else.”

She listens to Angela intently as the blonde let's out an almost undetectable sigh. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the way her eyes soften at her response.

“That's good to know.” Angela says as her heart settles in her chest. Even though she didn't know Fareeha well and despite how the way she behaved spoke volumes of her personality, she could have been seriously injured during that exchange. Angela shook her head gently as the bell sings in the depths of the library.

“Oh, what?” Zarya peers upwards and behind her shoulder in astonishment.

“It is lunch already?” She turns back to confirm with Angela, who was now closing her own book as it let out a puff of air.

“Time passes by quickly when you're having fun, doesn't it?” Angela smiles sweetly as she begins to get up from her seat. Zarya chuckles as she begins to do the same while gathering her books beneath her arms again.

“I will see you later, da?” She says as they begin to part ways.

“Mhm. Have a nice lunch.” Angela nods as she turns on her heel and rushes out the library, her boots clicking away on the cool golden lit floors.

 

\---

 

“I didn't know you two played basketball.” Lucio spun his fork around on his hand once, pointing it at Fareeha and Zarya before plunging it back into his greens.

“I used to play back in highschool.” Fareeha explains while she begins her meal,  Zarya giving a nod in agreement next to her.

“What she said.” The Russian says as she crumples a wrapper in her massive hands.

“Well, it definitely ain’t surprisin’’ anyone. You two practically live inside the gym.” Lena says absentmindedly as she ogles at Hana’s game.

“Yeah, I mean, what sport don’t you guys do?” Hana huffs as a pink bubble half the size of her face collapses.

“Golf.”

“Cycling.”

Hearing the responses, the whiskered girl abruptly sets her controller down on the table, causing its contents to shake slightly. Lena’s gaze follows hers as the younger girl glares at the two in disbelief.

Lucio shifts uneasily at the way Fareeha and Zarya stare back at Hana dumbly, the duo unable to understand the reason for the way she now rolled her eyes and sighed while returning to her game. Smacking his face, Lucio lets out a groan as Lena giggles uncontrollably at how oblivious her friends are.

“You know what? Just—just forget it.” He waved them off as he attempted to rekindle the subject.

“Well, uh…” he searches for another topic while drawing in a breath.

“Oh yeah! Guess who's going to be the DJ for the home games this year?” His skin glowed with pride alongside the merry chatter of the cafeteria. Lena’s eyes darted around the table, eager to blurt out the answer just as much as everyone else was.

“Wait…” She pauses, glancing at the expressions on her friends’ faces, slightly doubting that she's made the right assumption.

“You’re…”

“NO WAY REALLY!? DUDE THAT’S AWESOME!” Hana suddenly blurts out as she slams her controller onto the desk yet again, this time calling on several curious glances around them.

“I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!” The girl’s smile gives off a wicked sense of pride.

“Congratulations, now we listen to techno music every game, no?” Zarya says with a playful smirk as she sets an elbow on the table.

“Z, you already know I do more than that.” Lucio lifts an eyebrow as he pretends to be insulted.

“I'm sure you have a wide selection of good tunes for us.” Fareeha chuckles as she remembers the time they heard of his passion for music. They were all invited to his dorm—one that he inhabited himself upon much begging of the principal. Inside, he had graciously allowed them a seat next to his work station. As the expensive earphones fit snug over their ears, the volume remained clocked to full blast, unbeknownst to anyone at that time. By pressing play, the boy had caused three casualties in his already cramped room. Zarya’s face had scrunched together like she had eaten something sour and Hana and Lena roared in agony as they both fell out of their chairs.

“Hey, I hear you. You let me know what you and Z wanna hear for your first game.” He offered as he nipped away at his greens.

“When is it?” Lena asks as she turns to Fareeha.

“Around a month from now.” The Egyptian replies. Her glance darts towards Hana as she notices the way the girl eyes her intently. She was already used to receiving strange glances now. With all the eccentricities the academy had to offer, it wasn't something to be concerned about.

She suddenly found herself thinking of Angela, the blonde’s expressions  from the day before flashing across her memory with a painful thump. It was a tangled mess of worry and agitation. She recalled the way Angela had  whispered reassurances into her ear as she knelt by her side, feather light touches working delicately on her nose as she examined it.

Fareeha bit her lip.

Perhaps she was being too reckless by pushing her away at the beginning of the exercise.

Maybe she should apologize, or even thank her.

 _“…No.”_ She pinched the skin around her knee under the table.

_“Yesterday was an accident. That interaction was an accident.”_

 

There was no point in getting her hopes up. Angela was only helping her because she was injured. Nothing more, nothing less.

\---

 

“You all did very well yesterday.” Reinhardt nodded to himself as he readjusted the frail little spectacles resting on his face.

“During this class, I will go over with you what may be improved on, as well as a new assignment before we continue on with today’s exercise.” He said as he sat his hands on his hips.

The giant sped through explanations on utilizing distinct terrains and choke points to an advantage as he scribbled away characteristically on a board hovering in the air. As he spoke, he would call upon them to give their own analysis of what was detrimental or beneficial to the success of the exercise, much to the embarrassment of certain individuals.

The lesson in escorts ate up the minutes hungrily, yet it still left them with an abundant hour to continue with simpler exercises that the man had planned for them today, such as establishing and capturing important objectives.

“Before I continue with today’s lesson, I will let you know about your first assignment.” He said as his hand rubbed his beard pensively.

“As agents of Overwatch, our duty is to appear during times of crisis to protect those in danger.” Reinhardt starts as he  crosses his arms over his large chest.

“Whether you find yourselves in the middle of a burning forest or the ocean, it should not persuade you to stand down in the least.” The old man says as he flips open a folder, retrieving in his massive hand a pile of paper.

“For your next assignment, you will be performing a simulation of a rescue mission.” He flaps the sheets once. Fareeha listens to Lena draw in a steady breath as a sense of readiness occupies the air around them.

“It will take place outside of the academy, since our facilities are fully occupied for the rest of the week.” Fareeha watched as he set down the pages in front of them.

“This will be a joint lesson between myself and Professor Winston, and will last for three days.” Reinhardt plucks the glasses off his nose and folds them together neatly before hooking it back onto his chest pocket.

“Your job will be to prepare any supplies that you may need for the trip. The rest of your instructions will be on this sheet, so please pick it up before you leave today.” He says as he tucks them back under his arm along with his clipboard.

“Now, let us proceed with today’s lesson, shall we?”

They agree silently as the giant beckons to Athena in the sky. Their surroundings begin to flash and shimmer, the sudden change in temperature and lighting made Fareeha’s stomach drop, sending shivers along her spine as gothic-styled buildings loom before them ominously in the night.

“Well I’ll be.” Lena whispered as the bell tower struck midnight.

“Seems like we’re playin’ on my old stompin’ grounds today!” Her body shook with violent energy while she marvelled at the familiar face of Big Ben in the distance.

“As you may already know, I am a firm believer in knowledge gained from primary experiences.” Reinhardt explains as he bends down and plucks up the same box from the day before.

“The process will be the same as yesterday. I will name the numbers you draw, and you will capture the first objective with your teammates.” He gestures once towards the golden square hovering in the air.

As they form up to select their numbers, Fareeha experiences a gentle tug on her sleeve. Turning around, her heart nearly leaps into her throat at the sight of the familiar golden locks.

“Are you alright?” Angela’s voice is barely above a whisper as she stares tentatively into the Egyptian’s eyes. A blush threatens to burst into flames across her dark complexion as Fareeha hastily recalls the way the blonde had asked Genji the same question, her senses freezing over at the memory.

_“You aren't special. Don't fool yourself.”_

“Yes. Thank you for your help.” Fareeha replies cooly as she turns back to the front of the line, heart still jack hammering in her chest.

 

\---

 

Fareeha halts abruptly in her tracks as Reinhardt holds out a giant palm in front of her.

“How are you feeling, Miss Amari?” He asks while straightening to his full height.

“Fine. Just a few headaches.” The Egyptian states as she gazes almost defiantly into his huge round eyes, sensing what he was about to tell her next.

“I do believe it would be best if you could receive confirmation from Ms. Rouselle once more before attending this lesson.”

The sentence makes her stomach twist awkwardly as she thinks back to the sickly sweet presence of the woman. Fareeha could see out of the corner of her eye the way Angela listened in to their conversation, standing by herself as her eyes were trained on the statue of an omnic leading a child by the hand. If it weren't for her own morals and the great influence of the man before her, she would have stubbornly declined the suggestion without further thought.

“I understand.” Fareeha dips her head as she turns on her heel without another word. Reinhardt watches as the Egyptian’s figure fades into the distance, disappearing behind the automatic doors as he continues to offer the box to his students. His eyes narrow suspiciously at the sight of a familiar head of refreshing green hair.

“I do expect better behaviour of you this time, Mr. Shimada.” The old man nearly growls at the defiant younger sibling as he jams a fist into the box for a number. Genji mutters a rude slur in his native tongue as he glares at the giant indignantly, storming back to his position next to his brother, who’s expressions remained just as stern and calculating as always as he gives a humph and turns his back away from his younger brother.

 

\---

 

Fareeha knocks once.

A shriek pierces through the walls as the sounds of tumbling and rustling papers bounce off the door of the medbay.

Fareeha knocks twice this time, making the action appear more insistent as she considers allowing herself in to ensure that the school nurse is uninjured.

“Ms. Rouselle?” She calls as the door slides open at motion of her fingers.

“Huh? O-Oh! Miss Amari!” her jet black hair was a tousled mess as she sat on her knees on the floor, a stack of folders pressed tightly to her chest.

“I wasn’t expecting you to—“She stops mid-sentence as Fareeha bends down next to her in a heartbeat, helping her retrieve her valuables from the floor without a word.

“Oh no you don’t have to do that for me.” Fareeha almost shivers at the way the words seemingly drip out of her mouth as her hands drift along the puddle of white on the floor. She politely ignores Rouselle as she quickly steals a glance at the documents, her sharp brown eyes latching onto a familiar name as her brows scrunch together in confusion.

_“ANUBIS…?”_

A blueprint hangs out next to the sheet with the name of the all too familiar deity. Feeling extra daring, she reaches out and drifts a hand over the rest of the folder’s contents.

Angela Ziegler.

Fareeha’s eyes widen in confusion at the file. Blonde locks. Piercing yet gentle blue eyes. It was unmistakably her.

“Angela…” Her lips formed the name in a whisper as a hand quickly snatched the folder away from her eyes. Looking up, she briefly witnesses a flash of anger across Rouselle’s complexion. Her lips were curled into a snarl as her eyes glared down at Fareeha.

“Right. So, what may I help you with?” The raven haired woman nearly growls.

“…What?”

The Egyptian blinks several times before she’s able to see the nurse as she remembered her last time, her wide smile plastered persistently to her face and the corners of her eyes crinkling together like an old piece of parchment. The woman stared at her kindly and expectantly as she remained kneeling on the floor. Fareeha swore she saw a sneer in those few seconds as she attempted to regain her composure.

“Oh, uh…Rein—Professor Wilhelm wanted me to check in with you again, just in case.” She stumbles through her words as her gaze flitted to the window. Even out of the corners of her eyes, she could see the serious expression digging holes into her body. She took note of the way Rouselle’s fingers fidgeted with the folder and how the material wrinkled itself beneath her iron grip.

“Oh, well, perhaps I can help you take a look then.” The nurse lets out a breath as she wheels around in her chair and pushes herself to her desk.

“Just sit there, I'll be back in a second.” She says as she gestures towards the side of the room.

Fareeha does as instructed, hopping onto one of the many beds as she wordlessly watches Rouselle enter another room while softly closing the door behind her, knuckles turning frighteningly white as she clutched the thick folder in one hand.

 

\---

 

“Helix…attack…Talon.”

“Anubis…AI…help.”

The recording crackled uneasily as Jack pressed a button on his laptop, pausing it as he waited for the man before him to speak.

“Do you want me to look into it?” Gabriel Reyes says gruffly after a long period of silence as he crosses his arms over his chest. He leaned by the wall while staring outside the window at a rowdy gathering of students, letting out an agitated huff as he turned back to face his longtime friend and fellow soldier. Daylight was leaving them as the sky around them sought out the blanket of the night, the whirs of Jack’s laptop the only noise filling the delicate silence.

“Yes. I would appreciate it.” The man says at his desk, fingers laced in front of his face, eyes burning with concentration.

“Alright.” Gabriel muttered as he pushed himself off the wall and marched to the sofa to retrieve his sweatshirt.

“Do the others know?” He said as he slipped the shirt on.

“Not yet.” Jack confesses.

“I was planning on telling all of you at once, but then you showed up with that mug of yours.” The old man smirked at his friend, watching as Gabriel rolled his eyes in exasperation. The smiles on their faces faded just as quickly as they appeared, the two men taking on an air of seriousness as they resumed the topic.

“I want you to look into it first. If it is what I really think it is, then I'll have to let the rest of them prepare.” Jack sighed as his gaze shifted to his laptop.

“I've got a bad feeling about this, Gabe.”

The man in question stared at his friend wordlessly. He himself understood the subtle yet dreadful feeling that was crawling along his skin, yet there was nothing he could say. Nothing he says right now would help ease the tides of worry that were so prominent along Jack’s forehead or the line of sickness drawn so tightly across his mouth. Right now, they needed reassurance. Action. Not words.

“Leave it to me.” He says simply as the doors slide open for him. Taking one last look over his shoulder, he notices Jack staring ever so persistently at his laptop, as if he were begging the machine for an answer he couldn't find himself.

As the doors ease closed behind him, Jack releases a sigh as he closes the file with Fareeha Amari's name on it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see? angela is v concerned about fareeha's nose


	8. Moving Mountains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait you guys! I spent a good week and a half getting settled into my dorms at uni, but now I'm hoping to get back on track after this chapter!

There was water.

So much water.

Houses were filled to the brim by the flood, pot and pans swimming downstream and cars bobbing dangerously in the waves. On top of the roofs sat people, some with tattered clothing and bloodied limbs, all frantically signalling for help.

“LENA!” Fareeha called.

“Aye aye captain!”

A little girl sat curled up in Fareeha’s arms. Rain pitter-pattered against her skin, drumming so ruthlessly and intensely it was difficult to hear calls from afar. Her borrowed armour rested heavy against her body, her muscles sore and groaning with each move. She could taste the salty flavour of sweat as it rolled down her lips and past her collarbone.

Lena blinked to her side on the rooftop, handling the little girl with much care as she was handed over. She then blinks to a ladder hanging by a helicopter and watches as the girl’s body pixelates into thin air, a green light and loud ping sounding to signal a successful rescue.

She blinks back to Fareeha’s side, scanning the disaster for anymore casualties.

“How many have we gotten so far?”

“Twenty.” Fareeha takes a deep breath. Beside them, Hana and Mei were busy inspecting houses to make sure no bots remained.

“That should be all of them then.” Lena said.

Her sigh of relief is cut off as a distant scream pierces the tense silence of the simulation. They whirl around, spotting a child being whisked away by the current.

“Ah bullocks.” Lena groans. Fareeha curses under her breath.

“Don't worry about it. I’ll go get him.” The Egyptian sighs. “Just watch my back.”

Before Lena could stop her, she dives headfirst into the water, armour dragging her beneath the tides and into the loud silence of the water.

\---

“Oi! You just about done in there?” Lena calls and hammers on the bathroom door three times and settles her back against it in a huff.

“Almost.” Fareeha says nonchalantly, fingers scrubbing away at her scalp as the warm water eases out the stress of the day. She could still feel the bite of the cold from the simulation and shuddered slightly. Even though the environmental injuries weren't real and would disappear soon after, the sensations are very much genuine. Burns, broken bones, anything that wasn't caused by the hand of another in the simulation was painless, but what's unbearable is how it hurts just as much as the real thing when it does occur.

Fareeha brings a hand up to her nose, fingers trailing idly along the bridge as she remembers the white hot pain that Genji delivered during their first simulation. She wraps calloused fingers around the shower nob and gives it a few good twists as the water slows to a few drips.

She dries herself off and stifles a yawn while slipping on a pair of compression shorts and a sports bra. Stepping outside, she scanned the room for any signs of Lena. Their two beds sat silently next to each other in the tiny room, with no sight of the Brit anywhere.

Suddenly puzzled, Fareeha raises an eyebrow and peers at their door. It was left slightly ajar, its hinges creaking with each tiny movement. The facilities were not as advanced as the ones in the city, as they were situated in the much older training grounds located in the mountains. It was a place where students could choose to partake in summer training if they did not have anywhere else to go during the season. On the bus ride, Reinhardt recounted stories about his time spent training here in his youth with the rest of the teachers at the academy.

The hallway appeared to be eerily empty, and Fareeha was about to turn back into her room before a flash of blue and a gust of wind swept across her face. She could catch a whiff of Lena in the air—the slight smell of warm cinnamon with a fresh and icy edge.

“Ya gon’ get old sittin’ there readin’ all day Angie!” Lena laughs triumphantly as she waves a book in the air and takes off to the end of the hallway.

“ _Verdammt_ Lena!”

Angela rushes past Fareeha, an angry slur of Swiss German following in her wake. Lena giggles and blinks further and further away until she's out of sight.

Angela slows to a halt, groaning in frustration at the impossibility of catching up to the brunette. She turns on her heel.

“Oh!”

She nearly jolts as she narrowly avoids colliding with the tall and powerful wall that was Fareeha. The Egyptian, still partially wet from her exit out of the shower, stares wide-eyed at her.

“Uh…”

Fareeha fumbles with her words and mentally slaps herself. Her heart leaps into her throat as she sees piercing blue eyes giving her what appeared to be a once over. Her eyes fall to Angela’s lips, marvelling briefly at how it was gaping slightly, lips full and pink and shiny.

“S-Sorry.” She mumbles.

“N-No it was my fault! I should be looking at where I'm going.” Angela says as she snaps out of her trance.

They brush shoulders as the blonde hurries back to her room. Fareeha does the same, fingers fumbling with the doorknob as she closes the door.

\---

“You did that on purpose, didn't you?”

Fareeha rolls her eyes as Lena hums happily, the bed squeaking beneath her weight as she bounces up and down.

“Did what?” She replies innocently as she flops down onto her back with a giggle.

Fareeha rolls her eyes once and suppresses a groan as she reclines onto her own bed.

Summer was nearly over and night began to come early. They had to convene in the gymnasium the next day for their second assignment, along with another brief lesson on the application of barrier fields in environmental disasters.

Her eyes droop with exhaustion as sleep begins to take her away. She thinks about the files in Rouselle’s office.

“ANUBIS…Angela Ziegler…”

The light of the room blinks off as she falls into a deep slumber.

\---

“Are you sure he isn't going to beat you up again?”

“Yes, Hana, I'm sure.” Fareeha pinches the bridge of her nose.

They stood idly behind Genji as Winston continued with his instructions.

“Each team will have four barriers. Please make sure you use at least two of them.”

They had three rotations of rescue missions—a flood, landslide, and forest fire. With the first two out of the way, Fareeha can only imagine what horrible conditions the final simulation yields. To pass, they were required to rescue at least half of the bots present.

The students began filing out of the room and into the viewing area as Winston ambled up to Fareeha.

“Miss Amari, I heard about your…incident with Mr. Shimada.” His deep voice was hushed as he leaned close to her ear. “Will you be alright?”

Fareeha gave a firm nod.

“Yes. I already checked in with Miss Rouselle and everything appears to be okay.” She reassured him.

“Alright. Very well.” Winston adjusts the tiny glasses sitting on top of his nose. “If anything happens, I'll be watching.”

Fareeha shoots him a wide smile and waves as he hobbles away.

Veterans, professional gamers, and monkeys from the moon. What kind of people didn't this school have?

\---

She inspects the armour on her body, turning her wrist around while trying to make sense of the numbers blinking away on the miniature monitor. It was a borrowed set with blasters built into the palm and boots, painted jet black all around with a simple helmet that rested over her head.

“Did you seriously not come with anything?” Hana says as she stomps over with her giant pink mech.

“Not really, no.” Fareeha shook her head. “I've had weapons training but there was nothing I could bring with me.”

She was relatively unfazed by the fact that all of the other students possessed personalized equipment for combat. Even growing up, she had fended off enemies with her bare hands and she believed that that was all she needed to survive. She believed in her skill, and not in fancy weaponry and state of the art mechanics.

_“Rescue commences in thirty seconds.”_

Looking outside, she gulps at the waves of flames eating up trees in the distance. Giant plumes of smoke engulfed the night sky, and she suddenly began wondering about how vast the terrain would be.

_“Five.”_

_“Four.”_

“Fareeha, Genji, and I will cover the top of the mountain, the rest of you cover the lower half.” Lucio suggests.

“Roger.” Hana’s voice sounds from her mech.

_“Three.”_

They all gave a steady nod, bracing themselves for what the environment had to offer.

_“Two.”_

_“One.”_

The doors slide open and they were hit by a blast of heat so intense it stopped them in their tracks and threatened to sear their eyebrows off.

“Rescue commences, escort civilians to safety.”

\---

Fareeha’s nostrils burned. Her armour was surprisingly light and acted as a good cover for the flecks of ember that danced around in the chaos. Overhead, Genji bounced flawlessly from tree to tree, each one falling before him as the distance between them grew.

“Hey Shimada! Slow down!” Lucio called from next to her.

The ninja didn't listen, their voices lost in the cries of the dying forest. Taking in a breath was harder than finding one, and tears pricked at the corners of Fareeha’s eyes. The muscles in her body groaned at the uphill endeavour, sweat dousing her body.

Coming in close, they could see a lone bot stranded to their right. Fareeha stopped in her tracks, gazing up and looking for Genji. She grit her teeth in frustration as he was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, don't worry about it.” Lucio calls as he signals to the bot. “Let's go.”

He picks up the bot and hoists it over his shoulders. What Lucio lacked in height, he made up for in strength and character. He always remained his own version of calm, his charming positivity touching those around him like his music.

As they escort the bot to the helicopter, a tree begins to give away next to them, it's limbs creaking and groaning as it toppled over.

Fareeha feels her blood run cold for a brief second. She looks down at the monitor on her wrist and begins hammering away at the buttons, hoping that something would pop up to save them as they now stood beneath the shadow of the fallen tree. It was gargantuan in size, wide enough to squish both of them into tiny bloody pulps.

“THE BARRIER!” Her mind clicks and she suddenly yells to Lucio.

Catching the device, she remembers Winston’s words as she throws it in the ground, a beam of lightning blue shooting up into the air as it surrounds them in a dome formation.

The sides of the shield rumble and shake with tremendous force as the tree crashes against it, wood exploding and splitting off.

“OH LET’S BREAK IT DOWN!”

Lucio’s voice echoes throughout the forest, the loud boom of a bass resonating for miles as waves of sound vibrate off the earth, surrounding their bodies as they escaped the tree.

They run, run as hard as they can until they neared a clearing. She feels her body growing lighter, her legs moving faster with each step as if she had wings on her back. Looking around her, she could see an aura of green surrounding them and smiled at Lucio’s back.

Flashes of flame passed them by, and Fareeha’s senses were in overdrive. She lunged forward, passing Lucio and catching another fallen tree with her bare hands, this one much smaller than the last. She pushes the tree up and over her head, waiting until Lucio runs under to toss it to the side.

The sounds of the dying forest were muted from her senses, and for a moment, all was quiet as she could only hear her own ragged breath and racing heartbeat.

“Thanks for the save back there girl.” Lucio pants.

“Right back at you.” Fareeha huffs.

“Listen, I'm gonna take this little guy to the rescue site, and you go after Genji.” He says as he wipes the sweat from his brows. “Knowing him, he's probably going to get into some major trouble if he's out there alone.”

“I was just thinking the same.” Fareeha nods.

“Sounds good. I'll give you a boost.” Lucio says as he whips his hand through the air, the warm golden glow on his hand turning to an electric green.

\---

“Don't be an idiot, just give one of the bots to me.”

She holds her hand out, resisting the urge to smack the boy before her.

“Don’t touch me!” Genji growls as he swats her hand away. Under his arms, he held two bots—one too many for himself to handle under their current conditions as each one weighed around as much as the average man and woman.

“You're not going to make it far, so just let me help you.” Fareeha says through gritted teeth.

“Shut up! It's your fault she hates me now!” Genji glares at her.

“I—what!?” Fareeha stares incredulously back, mouth hanging wide open.

_“He’s bringing this up NOW?”_

She wanted to smack him.

“I…”

Instead, she sighs and looks him over once.

“I don't want to fight with you.” She says as she reaches out again. This time, she's met with a heavier push that sends her stumbling back, anger rolling in the depths of her stomach.

She opens her mouth to speak, and before she could say anything, her surroundings darken as a flaming tree trunk falls from above.

Body acting on its own, Fareeha crashes into Genji, shoving him onto the ground as her own body covered his, her arm blocking the embers that scattered in the air. She hisses at the heat as it penetrates her armour, gritting her teeth so hard her jaw shakes.

“Go.” She manages. Genji stares at her in a state of shock.

“GO!” She says more insistently this time, her body threatening to collapse from the weight. Her knees twitch as she struggles to hold up the weight of the tree with one arm and she watches as Genji scrambles off with the two bots.

Over the comm, she could hear Hana report the retrieval of seven bots.

She tilts her head up, gazing at the monitor on her hand that was pushing against the tree. The screen was smashed, and she could barely make out the commands.

Shakily, she taps a finger on the diagram, struggling to activate the blaster on her hand. A flush of relief washes over her face as she hears the whir of the machine and sees the glow of blue on her palm.

Immediately ducking her head, she squeezes her eyes shut as the tree trunk bursts into an explosion of wood.

Chest heaving slightly, she examines her surroundings.

_“At least we pass.”_

 


	9. Things Left Unsaid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Not sure if any of you are still reading this but basically school has been kicking my butt and training is hell! So I'm back for a holiday and just managed to access my email again and holy, i didn't expect so many people to like this fic! The support has really moved me and has inspired me to write again so here we are! Hope you guys enjoy and thank you so much for the wonderful encouragement! I really appreciate it!

The mindful steps of his boots echoed in the hallway. His emerald locks, usually slicked back charismatically, was now a sleep deprived mess over his own face. His steel headband, dented and marked with scratches from its years of duty, pushed against his locks and forcefully held them in place.

Eyes circled by dark shadows, he gazed to the end of the hallway, spotting the flawless metal of the medbay door.

Genji was tired.

\---

He stood in front of the doors, his mind filled with thoughts that crackled like static and conflicted like polar waves of energy.

He was drained.

\---

A full minute ticks by. His heart sinks indefinitely, into a bundle of nervous thoughts and insecurities he kept hidden, now rotting away at the walls of his own inner sanctum.

_“Go.”_

_“GO!”_

It's been two weeks, the memory replayed itself in his mind, winding and skipping back in random turns like a piece of broken film reel.

Unlike his brother, he was free.

But even freedom came at a cost.

\---

Three knocks against the door was followed by silence. A wave of anxiousness warmed his belly. Was she not there? Was he too early? What if she knew it was him and didn't want to see him?

“One moment please.”

His heart stopped racing at the sound of the accented voice. Breathing a sigh of relief, he quickly made to thin out the wrinkles in his clothing and to smooth his hair for the twentieth time.

The doors slide open.

“Oh! Genji!” Angela’s eyes widened at the sight of the boy. “How may I help you?”

“Oh! I just… Uh…” He tripped over his words as he avoided her gaze. He was suddenly hyper aware of himself and could not seem to think of the right choice of words.

“May I…come inside?” He says. It was so unlike him—so incredibly unlike him to bring his walls down, to not be the easygoing playboy he was, to not say words that were as smooth as chocolate and as enticing as music.

“…Of course. Of course.” Angela replies, eyebrows knit slightly in question. She turns on her heel, glossy and red as they click-clack against the impossibly clean surface, her white lab coat floating behind her.

“Have a seat.” She says while gesturing to the black swivel chair parked at a desk. She returns to her own chair, crossing her long legs and tidying up a few sheets on her own desk.

“Is Ms. Rouselle not here today?” Genji asks as he settles down.

“Not in the morning, no.” Angela gathers the sheets in her hands and taps them on the desk. “She said she had some errands to run.”

“I see.”

Genji silently watches her pull out the top drawer and refile the papers. He recalls his first memory of her—a mere prank that was supposed to catch her attention, only to have someone else caught in the mix.

A pang hits his chest.

He remembers their first assessment—the fake injury, the visit to the nurse’s office, Fareeha’s voice in the hallway, angry but hushed with curses.

He remembers their first simulation—the desperation and twisted frustration he felt for falling into a trap. He had projected those feelings onto Fareeha.

There was no other way.

He knew no other way.

And God was there blood.

So much blood.

“Angela.” He says finally. His voice is shaky, but he doesn't let it stop him. He doesn't want to be stopped.

He doesn't need a reason.

All he needs is action.

“There is something I need to tell you.” He continues as Angela turns towards him, blue eyes big and curious.

“It…” He swallows, unsure of how to phrase the sentence, the words tasting strange in his mouth.

“It was me.”

Angela didn't know how to respond. She wasn't stupid, definitely not, and she held traces of what he might be eluding to in her mind. However, the moment seemed too tense for her to break, and she sensed that it might be leading to something important for Genji as well.

She thought it over.

It was alright.

There could be nothing else that he was referring to.

“…I understand.” Her tone came out a lot more stern than she had intended it to be—a habit she gained from her father, a tell-tale sign that matters were anything but satisfactory.

Genji stared at the ground in shame. He was foolish, foolish for thinking that Angela was as easily swayed by sweet words much like the other girls in his life. She was different. She was not dumb. Unlike him, she dedicated her entire life to her craft. She studied hard, trained hard, worked hard, all so she could provide others with the opportunity to do the same.

Unlike him, she was not free.

“Thank you.” He murmurs.

Before the lump in his throat grew, he rises from his seat and quickly leaves the room.

\---

Jack marched down the halls, his eyes clear and sharp. Three days have passed undisturbed with little sleep in between—no midnight distress calls or messages. The quiet had chewed at his bones incessantly, and like pack of hungry dogs, they filled his mind with angry barks of protest, urging him to abandon his vow of temporary secrecy and act before it was too late.

And so he did.

His students were surprised. He seldom abandoned his office to traverse the noisy and crowded halls, and whenever he did, people would stop whatever they were doing to acknowledge his presence. The sea of students would part, and they would greet him kindly. Likewise, he would return the gesture by turning his head and smiling warmly in their direction, murmuring a polite thank you here and there.

Today was no different.

“Good morning sir!”

“Good morning. How are you?”

“Looking excellent as always Mr. Morrison!”

“I could say the same. Thank you.”

The boy squeals to his friends, bouncing up and down ecstatically as Jack walks past him, a smirk sneaking it's way onto his lips.

Oh how good it felt to be young.

\---

“That's it! Put your back into it!”

Reinhardt whipped a fist through the air, cheering loudly as if he were watching a sports game in a bar. Only now in front of him, his students scrambled out from beneath the barbed wires, bodies caked sloppily with mud.

“Phew!”

Lena was the first out, rubbing the dirt off her cheeks with the back of her hand before she made for the twenty feet wall that loomed before her. Fareeha and Zarya quickly followed, gritting their teeth in competitive frustration and seizing the dangling ropes overhead, working their way towards the top by the balls of their feet.

“HOLY SHIT!” Hana managed breathlessly as she clambered out many seconds later. Her eyes scanned the height of the wall, her heart despairing just a little. “You have got to be kidding me!”

“Can't handle it?” She turns at the sound of a Southern accented voice.

“Then I guess you best be kissin’ yerself goodbye.” Jesse pants, his hands resting upon his knees, expression faltering as he gazed uneasily at the obstacle ahead.

“Hey! Who said I was a loser?” Hana pouts, her cheeks puffing out slightly. “You look just as tired as me!”

“She's got a point, y’know.” Lucio pitches in as he comes to a stop beside them. “If I were you, I'd be getting busy."

Jesse growls at the boy as he jogs further and further away. He spits on the ground once, grudgingly making his way to the wall.

“MISS SONG!” Reinhardt yells from afar. Hana, slightly miffed from what just happened, jolts on the spot and turns to her teacher with a glare.

"Now, do not be like that!" Reinhardt gestures at her with a hand. "Where is your fighting spirit?!" He yells, a smile tugging at the corners of his wrinkled and scarred face. She was a young one with much talent, although she still has much to improve on.

Hana's mouth snapped open, ready to fire a volley of responses to shrill and rapid they would deafen everyone on the field in an instant.

Before she could even make a squeak, in the corner of her eye she spotted a familiar white haired man with piercing blue eyes judging her, arms crossed sternly across his chest.

"Grr..." She let out a huff of air.

"I'll show you."

She exploded towards the wall, an angry yell startling everyone on the field.

"YES YES THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! FASTER MY CHILD FASTER!" Reinhardt, who now looked like a proud father at his daughter's sports game, seemed to have mistaken her agitation for a resolute battle cry.

He continues to cheer ecstatically, stopping suddenly only when a familiar soldier planted himself beside him.

"AH! JACK! IT IS SO NICE OF YOU TO DROP BY!"

Jack winced at the bellow of the titan. He was there on important business, not to lose his hearing.

"Yes it's...quite lovely today."

"You came to watch my impressive children yes?" Reinhardt beamed like a giant child. "This year they are quite impressive indeed!"

"Hmph." Jack gave an indignant huff. He turns his head and eyes Fareeha Amari as she traverses a gap by hanging upside down on a long rope.

"Back in my day, we'd be finished this for the fifth time!" He barked at the group of students, causing them to temporarily stray from the task at hand in order to glance in his direction. Seeing the angry principal at their side they urgently began to speed up their progress.

"Now now, you were the one who suggest we get rid of angry machines." Reinhardt reasoned, showing a lopsided grin as he recalled the memory of past students being chased by a horde of angry omnics that fired burning lasers.

A long silence followed. The two men went back to surveying the students like old and wise eagles. Reinhardt was used to it now, the sudden silences that followed when he was with Jack. Back in the day, he was a sharp soldier, his attentiveness nearly animalistic in its behaviour. However, outside of combat Jack Morrison was like any other person, holding silences whenever he was deep in thought. 

The ex-soldier's vision never tore away from Fareeha.

"How is she?" He says out loud.

"Not bad. Much like Ana." Reinhardt shrugs. "Only a tiny bit more stubborn."

Jack gave an amused huff in response.

"Is there something on your mind, friend? You look very worried." The giant glanced down at his friend.

"...Yes. There's something important that I need to talk to you about." Jack finally confesses. He turns sharply to the other man.

"When are you free?"

\---

"OOOOOOH MAN!"

Multiple cracks made Fareeha's hair stand on end as she watched Lena stretch her arms in bliss above her head.

"That exercise kicked my butt!" The Brit sighed and turned around to show off the mud splattered on her behind. "Literally! Aw shucks would'ya look at that! Those were my last pair of training shorts!"

"Is it just me, or are you faster than the last time we raced?" Lucio's brows furrowed as he readjusted his gym bag on his shoulders.

"No surprise there." Fareeha sighed. They stood outside the gym, the sun just beginning to tuck itself behind the urban jungle of Atlas.

"Tell me little one," Zarya slung a buff arm around the brunette, the weight almost causing her to fall onto her knees. "What is secret to superhuman speed?"

Lena coughed and tried to regain her composure. Next to them, Hana laid face to the sky in the grass, all traces of consciousness having left her body save for a string of pained moans every now and then.

"Well, if you really wanna know--"

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused the group's attention to snap around.

Hanzo Shimada, in all his stern and fierce glory, approached them with his usual rigid expression.

"Fareeha Amari." He began, "I apologize for the trouble my brother has caused you."

It was unlike her to give any hints as to what she was thinking, but at that moment, Fareeha's eyes widened.

"Um, yeah, no worries...?"

The rest of her friends stared at her incredulously. Even Hana had risen from the grave to throw her arms up in the air. Lena stomped towards the boy in front of them.

"Now listen here bub--"

She continued to blabber on as Fareeha slapped a hand across her mouth.

"Really, it's fine." She talked over the Brit, giving an awkward laugh.

"Hmm..." Hanzo seemed to ponder for a moment, his sharp gaze wandering to Zarya and Lucio at the back, who were dumbfounded and kept their mouths sealed. He closed his eyes briefly, exhaling a sigh at the same time.

He seemed to be the very opposite of Genji, Fareeha thought. They didn't look much alike either. Hanzo's features were more sharp compared to his younger brother's. Whenever Fareeha glanced at him during class his lips were framed in a constant scowl, with his stormy grey eyes glaring at everything that passed him by.

 _"A level headed older brother and the hot headed child he has to babysit everyday."_ Fareeha mused.

She could only imagine how hard it'd be to have to deal with Genji everyday.

"Thank you for letting this go. Please let me know if anything happens again." Hanzo said as he snapped out of his thoughtful trance. His voice held a heavy accent much like Genji's when he spoke, only it was much deeper, even making him sound a whole lot wiser.

Fareeha wasn't really sure what to say in response. Instead, she gave him the politest smile she could muster and hoped he couldn't see the edge of her lip twitching awkwardly.

"Yeah that's right! You better leave before I break those tiny ankles of yours!" Lena raged as Fareeha took her hand off her mouth.

"What was that all about?" Lucio spoke as he walked up to them, eyebrows raised inquisitively.

"I'm... not quite sure, actually." Fareeha confessed.

"Are you really ok with apology?" Zarya asked as she turned around and began to walk ahead.

"...Yeah? Why not?" The Egyptian replied obliviously, causing her friends' jaws to nearly hit the floor.

"Dude, his brother beat you up and embarrassed you in front of Angie." Hana sprang up from the ground, dusting the grass off her behind. "You're just gonna take that?"

"Yo Hana's got a point there." Lucio added as he jogged up to her. "Now I'm not an advocate of violence myself, but if I were you, I wouldn't let them off the hook with just an apology." 

"Eh..." Fareeha didn't really know what to say. It's already been weeks after the simulation, and practically a month after what happened with Angela.

She could only hold a grudge for so long. Now, it felt like a massive set of weights were lifted off of her shoulders, even though she wasn't quite sure how they got there in the first place. 

"I'm just...I'm over it, I guess." The Egyptian shrugged her broad shoulders.

Her friends stared at eachother curiously.

"Well, if you say so." Lucio says.

"Oh yeah! Isn't that home game coming up soon?" Hana quickly changes the subject.

"Yes, at the end of the week, actually." Zarya answers from the back with Lena.

Cool shades begin to dominate the sky as the group of friends make their way to the cafeteria, chatting crazily as birds chirp freely overhead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I uploaded this from my phone but I'm hoping to look it over and fix a few mistakes later if there are any. 
> 
> I'll try to update this fic whenever I have the time despite how crazy harsh school is on me at the moment. Your guys' support really really really helped!


	10. Get Ready for a Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm on break from uni again and I can't believe this fic is so appreciated! Thank you all for the comments and kudos! 
> 
> This chapter is a bit bad in terms of writing, definitely not the best but I hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless!

**Atlas State, America**  
**Overwatch Academy**  
**6:30PM**

"Yes. I understand."

Rouselle's voice echoed in the empty spaces of her workspace. The curtains were drawn, the setting sun making feeble attempts to filter into the room as the woman paced around steadily while accepting orders given over the phone. Overhead, the clock ticked away on the wall.

"If he does manage to come here, I will be the one to treat him." The lady purred as she toyed with her brown locks.

"Oh don't worry, I have this all covered."

She gave a few final nods and sounds of agreement before lowering the phone from her face and hanging up the call.

_"Parfait."_

 

\---

 

"AHHHHHHH!!!"

Hana squeals in utter delight as she bolts towards Angela.

"Hana no---"

"YOU LOOK SO SO SO---"

"Hana please---"

"SO SO---"

"Hana---"

"SOOO CUTE!" The younger girl finally finishes in one breath as she nearly catapulted herself into the arms of the blonde.

"Ah..." Angela takes a few alarmed steps back, heaving a sigh as she catches the girl's arms.

Just how did she get looped into this whole mess again?

 

\---

 

"Hey Angie!" Hana called as she sat curled up on a chair in the kitchen, eyes darting in time with the little plane on her game controller.

"Angie!" She called again.

Hearing no response, the girl hesitantly tore her eyes away from her game, hearing instead a mad ensemble of clacking and scribbling coming from her roommate's quarters.

Raising an eyebrow, Hana set her 3DS on the table and shuffled over to Angela's door, knocking once.

"Oh Angie~" The girl cooed as she gently pushed the door open.

What she saw nearly made her heart shoot up into her throat. I'm

"Yes?" Angela answered, rotating her head slowly in Hana's direction.

"...Oh. My God."

The blonde was a mess. Dark eye bags clung to her face while her hair remained in a disheveled bun, sticking out in every direction possible. On her desk was a literal mountain of candy wrappers and a fortress of red bull, while the floor was swamped with discarded papers, some crumpled and some laying on heaps of dirty clothing.

"You know, Hana..." She started, her face slowly forming a smile.

"Sometimes I ask myself why I choose to put myself through all of this."

"I, uh..." The gamer tried to search for the right words. "A-Are you...ok?"

Angela's eye twitched in response.

"So...I have this one friend who's a year older than us." She began, deciding to change the subject.

"She's on the cheerleading team and it seems like they're short on members for the home game this week and was wondering if I knew anyone who could help fill in."

"Oh..." Angela gave her best surprised expression. "Well, that would be lovely." She said as she turned back to face the computer screen.

"I know you think you're not the type to---"

"Wait, what?" Hana squeaks.

"You mean you'll actually do it?"

"Yes...why not?" Her friend replies, her tone already mimicking that of a zombie's. "It's not like I have much work to do anyways."

Hana stares dumbly as Angela breaks into a chorus of sarcastic laughter. She slowly backs out of the room, nearly slipping on what she thought was a cup of instant noodles as she quietly shuts the door behind her.

 

\---

 

Angela cringes as she met the sparkling gaze of the whiskered girl in front of her.

"You see! I totally told you you'd look great in this outfit!" Hana exclaims as she gestures towards the cheerleading uniform hugging tightly against Angela's slim form.

"I, uh...thank you, I suppose." Angela now felt her cheeks sizzling at the compliment, though she did not want to admit it.

"Now how 'bout a little selfie to celebrate the occasion?" The Korean girl muses as she skillfully whips out a phone held in a bright pink case at an overwhelming speed.

"Wait, what? Hana, don't you dare---"

CLICK.

Before she could stop her, Angela now finds herself with her mouth open, eyes stretched embarrassingly in shock as her brows furrowed disapprovingly the entire time. Definitely not one of her best looks to date.

The blonde stays silent. Hana cackled, her high pitched squeaking rivalling that of the stadium and the crowd outside while it bounced off the lockers of the empty change room.

"Just wait until I stream this online! Imagine how many views I'd get!"

The girl continued to take selfies, her phone cracking away as Angela stared into space.

"Hana, dear..."

"Hm? What's up?" The brunette inquired, angling the camera slightly to face her friend, capturing the death stare that now rested on her back.

"Oh."

She froze as Angela crept closer.

"Ohh."

"OHHHHHHHHHH---" The poor girl screamed as she ran, her phone clicking away along with her.

 

\---

 

"WHAT'S GOOD OVERWATCH ACADEMY?"

Lucio's voice thundered throughout the stadium as crowds of the students roared with pride in response. The bleachers shook with much anticipation and excitement as two teams hustled onto opposite sides of the court, with one sporting orange, black, and white, and donning the signature logo of the home team tonight.

Fareeha's chest swelled with excitement as the stadium lights and noise engulfed her. She angled her head upwards, squinting as she stared at the open ceiling that revealed the glittering stars above.

"Wow." She nearly breathed.

"Not bad." Zarya huffed in acknowledgement from behind her.

"WOOOO! GO ZARYA!"

"SHOW EM' WHO'S BOSS FAREEHA!"

The two women turned their heads to see Lena and Hana on the bleachers behind them in the first row. In their hands was a massive banner with their faces masterfully scribbled on with felt markers.

Zarya gives a snort and Fareeha covers her mouth as a sharp whistle calls them both over to their team.

Huddled around their coach in anticipation, they all listen intently as he preps them for the start of their game.

"Listen up!" Gabriel Reyes barks. "This is the first game of the season! There is no way we're going to lose this with the training we've done so don't go out there and embarrass everyone! Is that clear?"

His eyes scan menacingly for anyone who wasn't resolute in their gaze.

Fareeha gulps as she thinks about the consequences. Her first memory of Gabriel Reyes, like many of the school's leaders, was seeing him on TV. Like Jack Morrison, he was also a member of the super soldier enhancement program that propelled them both to the front of Overwatch. And though he was just as smart and fast and powerful, he appeared much more menacing than the Commander in public, speaking and acting just enough to get the job done. His presence in the battlefield as an unstoppable force was undeniable, pummelling anything and everything that stood in his way with tremendous destructive power.

Having him as a basketball coach, though...

She shivers at the thought of their first practice session.

It was more or less the same.

Her eyes travel around her teammates in anticipation. They all seemed to be eyeing their coach with the same smouldering resolve and nodding as the man gave a huff.

"Alright. Show them no mercy!"

The team cheered once in loud unison, the energy so magnetic and powerful it was nearly tangible as they head towards the benches.

 

\---

 

In the distance, Angela eyed the group intently, shuffling around and adjusting her skirt slightly as her eyes trail behind Fareeha.

_"It was me."_

Genji's words echoed in her mind. She felt a sudden pang of guilt hit her in the gut.

_"What is wrong with you!?"_

_"Why did you even bother coming to Overwatch if all you were going to do is cause trouble?"_

The blonde's lips purse slightly at the memory. It's been weeks since she first met Fareeha. She recalls their first meeting at the front of the school. She was tall, strongly built, and if Angela really had to admit it, incredibly handsome. In hindsight, the Egyptian did not come off as a bad person. And now, remembering her attitude towards Fareeha made her cringe.

She wanted to apologize.

"Hey! You will be fine!"

The blonde jolted as a hand clapped onto her arm.

"Oh! Uh, thank you." She laughs sheepishly as she turns to see Mei smiling at her reassuringly.

"It's okay, I'm nervous too!" The girl giggles merrily. "It's my first time being around such a big crowd!"

Angela gives a nod. Having Mei around always seemed to be so assuring, and it was more than just the fact that they shared the same passion.

The blaring noise of an air horn sounds, calling the cheerleading squad to the middle of the court as flattering hoots and hollers trail behind.

"Overwatch Academy!" Lucio's colourful voice rings out. The DJ stood on his platform, slowly turning the energizing music into silence. The bleachers thrummed with anticipation as he patiently allowed the tension to build.

He slowly lifts one hand into the air.

"ARE YOU READY?"

The crowd explodes with excitement as he smashes the play button. Powerful and awesome melodies exploded as the crowd let loose, going into a frenzy as a girl is hoisted into the air, twirling once, twice, three times as the other girls cushion her landing. The stands shake as people stomp their feet, screaming ecstatically.

 

\---

 

Fareeha gulped.

Growing up as a child, she never really understood the power and importance of "school spirit" as the places she went to never really celebrated or valued it. It was strange, slightly daunting, in fact, to even see herself in the middle of such a riveting setting.

The Egyptian hunches her shoulders as a thick hand slaps across her back, pulling her back to reality.

"Aw, is Miss Amari not used to seeing cheerleading squad?" Zarya teases with a coy smile.

"I...what? No! That's not what I was---" Fareeha stumbles and glares at the Russian as her friend gave out a hearty laugh.

"It is only joke." She said as she plops down on the bench.

"Still," her friend continues, "many beautiful girls here tonight. I wouldn't blame you for staring."

Fareeha rolled her eyes at the comment. There was no one present tonight that would even cause her to bat an eyelash for them.

Suddenly, she thought of Angela, her bouncy golden locks swinging from side to side in her high ponytail.

She thought of the slap, loud and harsh as it left a red mark on her face, and the scolding voice that followed.

She thought of Genji, his idiotic smile that was thankfully sent up in flames along with the simulation.

The Egyptian humphed, watching the acrobatic movements with feigned interest.

_"What a joke."_

 

\---

 

The cheerleaders jogged off the stage, waving their pompons as they acknowledged compliments left and right. Angela's chest heaved with fervour, her big blue eyes flashing brilliantly as she flew off the court.

Fareeha moved her neck side to side, cracking her joints as she revved up for battle.

"Let's show them what we're made of." The Egyptian smiled wickedly.

"Da, no mercy." Zarya growled.

The two sprinted to their positions, Fareeha as a power forward and Zarya in center. They eye the ball like hungry wolves as it was balanced in the between the two teams. The referee dips his arm slowly, ready to fling it high into the air.

It was much like the start of every fight, Fareeha thought.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Angela watching her. She seemed determined.

But in that instant, it no longer mattered.


	11. Apologies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After I got back to this fic I literally could not stop writing hahaha
> 
> I'm on a first trip to NYC at the moment so I've been writing on my free time here. 
> 
> If you guys have any questions about my fic you can send them to my Tumblr at super-shimada-bros! Thanks all for reading again :D

"Over here Amari!"

Zarya sprints past the defence, waving a big hand in the air.

Fareeha dribbles the ball skillfully as she spins to the backside of the person checking her, passing the ball in her friend's direction as it booms against the court.

"YES YES YES GO GO GO GO GO!"

Lena and Hana both flailed in their seats as Zarya catches the ball with a loud smack, her heavy footsteps pummelling wave after wave of vibrations through the glossy court floor as she surges violently past the opposing defence with animalistic speed, leaving nothing but a memory of blurry blazing pink.

The enemy team hastily gather three women to stop her charge to the net, appearing much like twigs as the Russian approached. Hearts faltering, their resolve began quivering much like their knees as they cowered in the shadow of the great beast that now loomed before them.

As the Russian bends at her knees explodes into the air, it was clear that all hope was lost.

They angle their heads up in terror. The pure sound generated by her dunk was enough to frighten two members of their team and cause them to fall on their behind in the most embarrassing fashion. The only thing that rivalled the Russian's raw power was the mad holler of the crowd.

"HA! THAT WAS OP ZARYA!"

Hana shot up in her seat and pumped a triumphant fist in the air. They were nearing the end of the final quarter with a score of 82 to 50, with all the past rounds in favour of the home team. The girl flops back into her seat, her knees bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Aleksandra Zaryanova everyone! Number 4 showing us the power of the motherland!" Lucio announced from his stage situated on the side by the bleachers.

"Nice shot." Fareeha compliments as she slaps her friend on the shoulder.

"Da, let's keep this moving." Zarya breathed, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

They hustle back to their defensive positions. From the bleachers, Angela watches keenly with Mei by her side.

"Oh! That was so cool!" The girl claps, "Zarya is so strong and fast!"

Angela nods and gives a slight giggle.

"You'd think that with her build she'd actually be quite slow." The blonde observes.

"Quite a surprise, don't you think?"

"I agree. She is not quite like Fareeha." Mei observes.

The Egyptian was now handling the ball and trying to out maneuver a girl the same height as her.

_"Damn."_

She curses as the girl catches up to her once more, her movements gradually becoming more aggressive as she attempts to snatch the ball away.

Fareeha stops dribbling and grasps the ball firmly in her hands. She then feints a quick pass to her right and shoots the ball overhead in front of her. The girl does a double take, not realizing what just happened as Fareeha regains control of the ball and is bolts towards the net.

"And there she goes!" Lucio calls as the crowd cheers. "Number 8 going towards the net! Will she make it?!"

The DJ's eyes swap rapidly between the clock and his friend. Fareeha stops just outside the hoop at the 3-point mark, the tallest players of the away team attempting to obstruct her view.

"Oh! Oh! Here it comes!" Lena jumps out of her seat and grasps the rails in front of her.

"Oh my gosh!" Mei gasps in suspense. Angela grips her own hand tightly as she chews her lip, light blue eyes trembling with determination.

Fareeha bends down low, eyes zeroing in on the hoop. Then, in an instant she summons all the remaining strength in her body and rockets up into the air. The opposing team retaliates by doing the very same, their long arms looming over the Egyptian.

_"...Shit."_

 

\---

 

_"Hey! No fair!"_

_Young Fareeha Amari struggled as she attempted to block her mother from throwing the ball._

_"Not so fast, sweetie." Her mother giggled as she watched her daughter slap the ball angrily._

_She circled the ball around her waist, passing it from right to left as it shot up into the air and landed seamlessly into the net._

_Defeated, Fareeha watched the ball bounce dejectedly off the court._

_"Argh! Not again!" She growled in frustration._

_"Aw, darling." Ana kneeled down and placed a hand on her shoulder._

_"Don't worry, keep practicing, and one day you will be far better than me."_

_"Really?" Fareeha sniffed._

_"Really. I promise."_

 

  
\---

 

  
She makes an instant decision. Readying the ball in her hands, she passes it from her right hand to her left, grasping it firmly as she shoots straight at the hoop.

"She shoots..." Lucio starts, his hands sweating and heart pounding as he sees the ball swivel around the edges of the hoop.

As she lands on the ground, she dashes around the defence without a second thought, taking control of the ball just as it falls and bounces once off of the floor.

Jumping and grabbing the rim of the hoop, she hangs midair as she dunks it in.

"SHE SCORES!" Lucio and Lena exclaim in unison as the alarm buzzes.

"YES!" Angela screams as she stands up, frightening Mei and causing her to nearly fall off her seat.

"Fareeha Amari! Number 8 and ace of the basketball team!" Lucio declares. The crowd goes insane, chanting her name as they stomp on the bleachers.

"THAT'S OUR FRIEND RIGHT THERE YEAH!" Lena says proudly as she and Hana both climb over the railing and hop down onto the court to join their friends.

"Woah!"

Fareeha gives a cry as she is hoisted up into the air by Zarya, with their teammates quickly joining as they parade her around the court.

"AMARI! AMARI!" They chant along as Gabriel watches from the side.

 _"Hmph. She's her kid alright."_ He smirks to himself.

As she's finally let down onto the ground, the two teams line up and thank each other for the game. When they finally finish, Lena, Hana, and even the cheerleading team run over to congratulate them.

"G FUCKING G THAT WAS AMAZING!" Hana says as she jumps into Fareeha's arms. "Where did you learn to do that!?"

"I...I'm not sure, it just came to me." Fareeha laughed. 

"Well I say you both deserve a nice reward after this! Let's head out to the pub! It's on me!" Lena said as she wrapped her skinny arms around her friends.

"Hey! Don't forget about me! Lucio called as he walks over proudly with his arms outstretched.

"Aw, who could forget about our wonderful DJ tonight?" Zarya laughed as she enveloped him into the bear hug.

They all laughed as they joined in, not giving a care in the world about just how sweaty Fareeha and Zarya were.

Angela watches in silence behind the other members of the cheerleading time, her own excitement slowly fading as it's drowned out by the jokes and hollers. 

_"Now's my only chance."_

She reaches her hand out, opening her mouth as she prepares to call out to her.

She falters.

_"Would it upset her?"_

In the moments that passed, she found her will slowly beginning to falter as she watched the Egyptian laugh away, snuggled in between her friends. This entire time she knew. She knew it was Genji's fault. She knew she didn't do anything wrong.

Angelajust didn't have the heart to ruin the moment. 

The blonde smiles weakly to herself, standing there for a few awkward moments before turning on her heel and leaving to the changeroom.


	12. Just, Act Natural

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there were a lot of things i wanted to put into this one chapter and so many ideas that i kept shuffling around, so i decided to split it up into two chapters again. the writer's block is a bit strong in this chapter lol thanks for reading!

**Atlas State, America**

**Overwatch Academy**

**10:00PM**

 

"So, our old friend Talon is involved?"

 

"Most likely."

 

"Well,” The leather armchair squeaks as Reinhardt sinks into it, "what wonderful news you have brought me tonight, Jack."

 

The ex-commander groans as he rubs a hand over his face. There appeared to be a ceaseless and painful thumping in his head that only seemed to worsen when paired with the electronic music coming from the gymnasium in the distance.

 

"I asked Gabe to check it out for me. So far all we know is that Helix's transport mission was compromised." He frowns deeply, the light from the projection in front of his desk casting shadows on his face that accentuated the deep lines on his face.

 

"And you say the whereabouts of ANUBIS are currently unknown." Reinhardt finishes.

 

"Correct."

 

"The call was made by this man from Helix's main base." Jack says, clearing his throat as his hand makes a motion swiping right in front of the screen.

 

"Tarek Batrawi. 32 years old." He explains.

 

The German man inspects the profile.

 

"And his whereabouts...?"

 

"Missing."

 

"Hm..." the giant's chest rumbles as he strokes his beard wisely.

 

"Have you informed the others?"

 

"Only Gabe." Jack admits firmly, "I initially planned to let Torbjorn know so he could help us remodel the school's defen---" 

 

_"Jack.”_

 

The robotic voice of Athena pulls them both from their conversation.

 

_“My systems have detected a strange presence outside the facilities.”_

 

"What? Show me." Jack says as he rises from his seat.

 

 _"He does not appear to look very well."_ The AI warns.

 

The projector screen ripples and blinks to the view of one of the surveillance cameras, showing a man slapping the titanium entrance of the academy. He is clothed in blood, his face in disarray as he continues to yell and scream in a haggard voice.

 

"Open...the door." He cries.

 

"Athena, activate the barrier." Reinhardt’s expression turns dark. In one motion, he rises from his chair and swiftly makes his way to the door, leaving it open as he barrels down the hallway.

 

“Activate code yellow.” Jack orders as he slips on his jacket and closes the lights.

 

"And tell Rouselle and make sure she’s on her way.”

_"Understood."_ Athena promises.

 

Outside, grasses quivered and birds took flight away from branches as a pale blue light shot from the ground and surrounded the premises, gradually becoming transparent until it camouflaged with the air around it. Tarek turned his head upwards, bloody chest wheezing with exhaustion as he squeezed his hand into his jacket pocket, fingers quivering as they struggled to take hold of a single chip smaller than his own palm. A frightening clunk sounded as the gate doors began sliding apart. With nothing to support his weight, Tarek fell to his knees, coughing blood that splattered and sprayed gruesomely against the cement before him.

 

His head drooped, dashes of darkness threatening to pull him deeper.

 

 

\---

 

 

“Lena! I can’t see!”

 

“Shh! Guys stop talking!”

 

“Ready? One, two, three.”

 

Phone aimed towards the group, the husky man clothed in his cleaning uniform began clicking away as everyone held their smiles for so long Fareeha could feel the sides of her lip twitching.

 

“Done.”

 

Chatter immediately ensues as members of the cheerleading and basketball team begin to disperse and head towards the changerooms.

 

“Send me the photo later alright Hana?”

 

“Me too!”

 

“No probs! Catch you guys later!” Hana says as she runs up to retrieve her camera from the man twenty times her size.

 

“Awesome! Thanks janitorman!”

 

“No problem.” He sniffs and rubs his nose, the skin on his face thick and covered with deep, long scars.

 

“Roady! You done yet?” A heavily accented voice calls from the other side of the gymnasium. “C’mon! We ain’t got all night!”

 

Hearing the voice behind him, Mako Rutledge releases a heavy humph. He turns towards Fareeha and Zarya, giving both women a thumbs up before turning around, lifting his pants, and stomping over to his scrawny partner.

 

“Lemme see!” Lena says as she zips next to Hana, with the Lucio, Zarya, and Fareeha scooting in next to the jittery Brit.

 

“Why the heck are my eyes closed?” Lucio frowns.

 

“I look like a mess.” Fareeha remarks.

 

“A hot mess if that’s what you mean.” 

 

Lena receives the elbow jab to her side with a grin.

 

“I even streamed the entire thing!” Hana proudly announces, “You guys had over two million views!”

 

The girl fiddles with her phone and brings up the comment section of her latest stream.

 

“Now Amari and I will also be internet celebrities, yes?” Zarya teases while raising an eyebrow.

 

“Heck yeah you guys already are!” The gamer says as she lets Zarya and Fareeha hover over the phone, eyes flying over comment after comment.

 

_YAS GIRL SLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY_

_Can I marry the girl with the pink hair? LOL_

_Fareeha Amari is my husband!_

 

The group bursts into maniacal laughter again, only to quiet down when they see a familiar classmate approach.

 

“Um...Zarya?” Mei moves up tentatively towards the Russian, her voice a slightly softer tone than usual.

 

“Oh! Mei!” Zarya says as she picks the smaller girl up in a bear hug. Mei giggles as she her feet leave the ground.

 

“Thank you for energy today! If not for you guys, we would not have had such a wonderful victory!” The Russian exclaims.

 

“You guys were amazing also! We could really feel your determination!” Mei smiles warmly.

 

“Oh and um, I was just going to ask if you need help with the test next week. Just let me know ok? I’d love to help you study!”

 

“Oh? One of the smartest students offering me a chance to study with her? Well, I feel honoured.” Zarya remarks, showing off her most charming of smiles.

 

“Yeah Mei! Why don’t you help me study?” Lena asks while hopping onto Zarya’s back.

 

“Yeah! It’s no fair you get to help her only!” Hana pouts.

 

“You guys can come too, I’d love to help you all!” Mei chuckles, cupping her hands adorably over her mouth.

 

“We will text you and set date, da?” The Russian asks.

 

At the mention of the last word, Mei felt her cheeks flush slightly.

 

“Okay! It’s set!” She nods happily as she heads to the changerooms, waving energetically.

 

“Oh, she is _so_ into you Z.” Lucio says.

 

“I second that.” Fareeha says, crossing her arms while grinning playfully at her friend.

 

“Psh, is only study session. I am not good at geography.”

 

“Suuuuuuuuure.” The DJ coos, “We’ve all heard that one before.” He holds his hand out nonchalantly, and receives a high-five from Fareeha.

 

“Don’t worry love, Hana and I’ll make sure to give you two love bugs loooooooots of alone time!” Lena jokes as she stretches out the word. Zarya rolls her eyes.

 

“Psh, fair enough. I will make sure to return the favour when you find partner.” The Russian offers.

 

“That’s a done deal!” The Brit announces as they slap their hands together and shake triumphantly.

“Oh yeah, what happened to the VP?” Lucio mentions, curiously changing the subject, “I don’t think he was here for the photo.”

 

“I think he had something to do, so he left pretty quickly.” Fareeha answers.

 

“Oh…busy man.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

—-

 

_“Did you see her?”_

_“Who? The first year?”_

_“Yeah! Wasn’t she amazing?”_

_“Which one? There’s like, two of them that were really good.”_

 

Angela’s head turned slightly over her shoulder at the sound of high-pitched giggling, blue eyes glancing at the girls behind her who were too caught up in the moment to finish changing. It was as if the celebration had tailed her on purpose, bubbly members of the cheerleading squad stampeding into the lockeroom engaged in ecstatic conversation.

 

The blonde returned to her own business as she fished a clean and simple t-shirt out of her bag. 

 

At least she could finally go back to her room and get the evening over with.

 

_“The one who made the last shot!”_

_“Ooh, the one with the tattoo on her face? I think her name’s Fareeha.”_

 

_“Fareeha? Isn’t she the one who beat someone up when school started?”_

 

Angela crossed her arms and pulled her cheerleading top over her head.

 

_“That’s what I heard too.”_

_“Oh my god, do you think it’s ok for me to talk to her then?”_

 

The blonde’s hands stopped for a moment, fingers curling ever so slightly into the fabric.

 

It was truly the last thing she ever needed to hear.

 

Not wanting to ruin the mood, she retreated to the changerooms. Now, it felt like the universe wanted her to repent for whatever she had said or decided on. In the depths of her heart, she was beginning to feel a deep annoyance towards Genji for what he had done. She wasn’t an idiot. She suspected his intentions at times, however when she didn’t realize it was all a plan on the ninja’s part, she wouldn’t feel bad when she heard rumors of Fareeha injuring a fellow classmate.

 

But now…

 

Annoyance beginning to surface, she whipped around and her opened her mouth to speak.

 

“Oh wow, Angela! You have such a nice figure!”

 

Beside her, Mei marvels as she adjusts the glasses resting on her nose, taking minimal notice of the Swiss’ current mood.

 

“Huh?” Angela turns around.

 

“Oh! Uh…thank you, Mei.” She responds quickly, slightly caught off-guard.

 

“I’m so jealous of your long legs!” The shorter girl giggled, “I wish I was as tall as you!”

 

Angela chuckled lightly. She never paid much attention to it, and was never one to flaunt anything, but she was very much aware of the attention her figure would catch occasionally.

 

Just as she was about to give a compliment back, a ring echoed in the changeroom, accompanied by a familiar robotic voice.

 

_“Attention all students and staff: code yellow. Please remain indoors and refrain from going outside until further notified.”_

 

The message began repeating itself without end.

 

_“Oh my god! What’s happening?”_

 

Angela frowned. The girls behind her begin to behave like scared children, murmuring lowly along with everyone else in the room.

 

“I wonder what’s going on outside.” Mei said, her lips pursing slightly.

 

“I’m not sure,” The Swiss responded, “but we should probably just remain calm and be ready in case anything happens.”

 

She flips the shirt in her hands so that it’s not inside-out, and places it inside her bag, hands moving to the waistband of her skirt.

 

 

—-

 

 

“Code yellow? What’s that all about?” Lucio says.

 

“Dunno, but since it’s not red that’s one less thing to worry about right?” Lena thinks aloud.

 

“For now.” Fareeha confirms. “If the situation escalates then we should be concerned.”

 

“Then we should load up our weapons and start shooting!”

 

Fareeha snorts. The mental image of Hana’s mechanical steed crashing through whatever was over their heads with little to no subtlety just to accompany its owner is way too comical.

 

“Da, but for now, we should change.” Zarya says as she pats Hana on the head, glancing at Fareeha.

 

The Egyptian nods.

 

“We’ll wait for you guys here!” Lena says as the two basketball players make their ways to the changeroom.

 

—-

 

Angela hooked her thumbs beneath the waistband of her skirt, pulling it off as she took one leg out after the other. Beside her, Mei was just about finished with storing her belongings in her bag.

 

“I’ll wait for you outside?” The shorter girl asks.

 

“Sure, I’m almost done.” The blonde casually replies, beginning to busy herself with unfurling a pair of black shorts.

 

_“Is that her? She’s so handsome!”_

 

Angela’s ears perk up at the comment. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Fareeha and Zarya walk in, hearing them greet the two girls that begin to hound them like little puppies.

 

Her chest flutters slightly. It had completely slipped from her mind that Fareeha would eventually come into the changerooms as well.

 

Angela nibbles her lip, stubbornly refusing to tear her gaze away from the pair of shorts in her hand, worried to a degree that the Egyptian might catch her staring. It might have been her imagination, but she was sure she had felt the tiniest of glances aimed towards her back.

 

Though, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t invested in their conversation.

 

 _“Do you think it’s something bad?”_ One of the girls whimpered.

 

“I’m sure it’s fine.” Fareeha laughed.

 

_“You’ll protect me if anything happens right?”_

 

“Of course. Just leave it to me.”

 

Angela resists the urge to roll her eyes. She pulls on her shorts and reaches behind her head, pulling out strands of hair along with her hair tie and flailing her hand so that they fall dejectedly to the ground.

 

Letting out a sigh, she retrieves her hairbrush and lets its soft teeth work away on her scalp, still mildly conscious of where Fareeha’s gaze could be. The chatter had seemed to disappear, and the blonde notes that the girls had probably just scurried away. The room is a touch lower than its previous volume, more students finishing up and hurrying outside so as to gossip about whatever was going on.

 

Angela grips her hair with one hand, brush working away at the ends with the other. Fingers smoothing the remaining tiny knots, she nips her hair tie, bunching up her golden locks into her signature ponytail.

 

Zipping up her bag, she checks to see if anything is left behind, then slowly hoists the bag onto her shoulder, the muscle there sore from the activities of the day, a possible sign that the Swiss should take regular breaks from her work station.

 

She lets out a groan, using her fist to gently tap her shoulder, eyes squeezed in slight frustration. Opening her eyes, she allows her gaze to dash to her left once, spotting Fareeha’s toned back, marked by the occasional scars much later than her skin tone.

 

Angela thinks back to their training up in the mountains, how ridiculous and reckless it was of her to very obviously give the Egyptian a once over when she was a foot away from her and felt a flush of embarrassment wrack her body.

 

She knew Fareeha was in incredibly physical condition, but she couldn’t help but slide her gaze along every ripple of muscle that formed along her broad shoulders, how aesthetically pleasing it was to watch it travel down her back to her hips. Examining her made Angela feel safe, reassured, in a way. She imagined for a brief second how it would feel to be embraced by such strength. 

 

She knew the Egyptian could be stubborn, but lately it’s becoming more obvious to Angela that she was also incredibly good-hearted as well.

 

_“Mein gott Angela what are you thinking?”_

 

The Swiss smacks herself mentally, aggressively turning on her heel to leave.

 

“Angela!”

 

She froze, her shoulders hunching at the sudden call of her name.

 

“Good job today!” Zarya gave her a thumbs up.

 

“Oh..thank you.” Not knowing what else to say, she smiled her usual smile.

She could see Fareeha glance her way as she stood next to her Russian friend.

 

“I did not know you were also cheerleader.” Zarya continues, standing up and walking towards her.

 

Angela chuckles, bringing a gently curled hand to her mouth.

 

“It was only this one time. I only volunteered for Hana’s friend.”

 

“Really?” The Russian raises an eyebrow. “No wonder she take so many selfies.”

 

Angela’s eyes widened in horror.

 

“She-she _showed_ you?” she stumbled, trying to find the right words to express how she was going to murder Hana when she saw her.

 

“She said it was on her stream.” Zarya relied flatly.

 

“I…ugh.” The blonde groaned as she smacked her own forehead, the giant woman in front of her laughing away.

 

“No worries, we can all be internet celebrities now.” The Russian joked.

 

“We?” Angela pursed her lips, looking behind Zarya.

 

It was as if on cue that Fareeha met her gaze. Angela blinked innocently at her, trying her best not to allude to the messy feelings inside of her.

 

She didn’t appear the least tired, or annoyed by her presence at the very least.

 

Noticing the direction of Angela’s gaze, Zarya turned to glance at her friend behind her. She opened her mouth to speak.

 

“Do you—“

 

“You did well—“

 

Both of them stopped mid-sentence, a smile tickling at the edges of Angela’s lips. Fareeha lets out an amused huff before walking over, the awkwardness lifting ever so slightly.

 

“I was just going to ask if you brought a jacket.” She explains, “The weather’s been getting colder lately.” Her voice was smooth and charming, full of sweet consideration with no trace of awkwardness in sight.

 

“Ah…no, actually.” Angela suddenly realized, instinctively unzipping her bag for good measure, even though she knew what she was seeking wasn’t there.

 

“You’re right, I should have brought one.” The blonde readjusts her bag. “Silly me.” She licks her lips once.

 

At the response, Fareeha turns around and retrieves a light gray hoodie laying on the bench.

 

“Catch.”

 

Angela looks between Fareeha and the hoodie curiously, as if it was her first time seeing one.

 

“I’m alright, really.”

 

“Wear it back.” Fareeha insists, “Just give it to me when you have time.”

 

The Swiss looks at her curiously, raising an eyebrow.

 

“I believe you’d need this more, considering where you’re from.” She muses, “But I’ll take it. Thank you.” She smiles her warmly, eyes glowing as she met the gaze of the taller woman.

 

“Consider it thanks for the healing you do during class.” Fareeha smirks.

 

Angela giggles.

 

“You both did a good job today.” she says, sensing the conversation drawing to a close.

 

“We will see you later, no?” Zarya mentions as the Swiss gives a nod.

 

“Most likely, see you outside!”

 

The two women wave casually as they watch Angela adjust the bag on her shoulder, exiting towards the gymnasium.


	13. Noodles and Cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bet you didn't expect the next chapter to be up that quickly, now did you?
> 
> a slight warning: this chapter does contain mentions of abusive behaviour!

"Remember now, don't forget that the assignment is due the week after the exam!" Winston huffs as he waves goodbye to his students and begins to climb way onto the tire suspended on a rope swing in the classroom.

_"Finally finished."_

Angela holds a delicate hand over her mouth as she stifles a yawn, mingling in with the sea of students. Next up is holing herself up in her room in an attempt to finish her labs, then dinner when she could manage it, and finally helping Ms.Rouselle with some paperwork.

There was always so much to do...

She brings her hand up to wipe away the tiny tears that have formed at the corner of her eye.

"Oh!"

She calls out gently as her books topple onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry!""

Fareeha turns around, oblivious at what had just occurred. She was staring at her with those warm, round doe eyes. 

"H-Hello Fareeha! I---"

She suddenly finds herself pinned to a wall, firm strong hands gripping her shoulders with long fingers.

"Mmph!" Angela lets out a moan as she feels a hot tongue wrap around her own, caressing and sucking gently as her surroundings remained unchanged.

"Fareeha---what are you?" The blonde manages in between gasps.

The Egyptian pulls her closer, causing her to rest her hands on her biceps. She whimpers as she gives them a squeeze.

Angela moans again as Fareeha nibbles at her bottom lip, tugging at it lightly before letting go and tracing her tongue along her neck. 

Her breath hitches as she feels a hand squeezes her chest hard, kneading slowly as the other one travels further down.

Lower. 

Lower.

Lower.

 

\---

 

 

"Wuh...?" Hana sits up in her bed and rubs her eyes, her hair spraying out in all sorts of random directions like a porcupine.

Turning her head, she stares blankly at the wall connecting to the room next door.

Swinging her legs over the bed, she slips on her tiny pink bunny slippers and shuffles towards the wall, eyes half-lidded. 

The gamer places her ear on the wall, listening intently.

"........Fareeha?"

Hana's eyes snap open fully, as if she just downed a can of redbull with instant effects. Her ears perk up and she shuffles backwards, interest piquing as she stares at the wall, the gears in her head cranking away.

Shuffling again to the outside of Angela's room, she gingerly wraps her fingers around the knob and eases the door open. 

"Oh shit!" Hana whispers as her hand shoots up to her mouth. 

Angela was in the nude, shuffling about madly with the covers long discarded, adding to the mess that was already on the floor. The sight causes the letters WTF to explode in Hana’s mind. 

"Okay, okay calm down Hana. You've got this." 

The girl examines the situation for some time before cautiously tip-toeing her way around the trash on the floor, careful not to step on anything that would be the equivalent of stepping onto a lego block as she bends down in front of her friend, wincing when her knees gave way to a series of disrupting cracks. 

_“Careful…”_

"Angie~" she teases and pokes the blonde's face gently. 

"Oh Angie~"

"Huh!?" Angela grunts as she flails and kicks viciously.

"I said not there you stupid schnitzel!"

"Schnitzel? What the heck is tha---"

Hana squeezes her eyes shut as Angela's arm falls over her head. 

"OWWWWWWW" The girl screeches in a hushed tone, massaging the top of her head.

"Ughhhhhhhh"

Hana rolls her eyes as she surveys the room. She sees the blanket and places her hands on the floor, crawling quietly like a soldier towards it and bunching it up in her arms.

Standing up, she folds it open, flapping it once and twice in the air with as little noise as possible. 

In one smooth motion, she flaps it a final time and lets it slowly settle over her roommate, who's now snoring peacefully. 

_“Phew.”_

Feeling accomplished, the gamer releases a sigh of relief and stands up, stretching her arms over her head as she prepares to head back to her room to catch the rest of her snoozes. 

That is, if Angela's room wasn't like a minefield.

The Swiss bolts upright at the loud crashing noise, covering herself with the blanket.

"Huh? What? HANA!" She screams as she sees the Korean girl sprawled across the junk-ridden floor, her head planted face first in a bowl of empty spicy instant noodles.

 

 

\---

 

 

“AHAHAHAHAHA--” Lucio screeches as he clutches his stomach.

Fareeha winces, hand cupping her ear.  

_“How could his voice could go that high?”_

She gawks at Hana as the girl in question tries to glare daggers at the DJ in front of her.

“It wasn’t my fault okay?!” The girl scratches the top of her eye, red and irritated from the events of the previous night and growls in frustration, “How was _I_ supposed to know her room was full of spicy noodle bowls?”

The trio made their way down the hallway to their first classes of the day as bystanders eavesdropped on their wild yet humorous conversation, shooting them questionable glances.

“What the heck was the girl dreamin’ about?” Lucio asks.

“Dunno, just heard her rolling around a lot.” The younger girl lies, still rubbing away at her eye. 

“Did you at least see the nurse about it?” Fareeha laughs, hands tucked casually in her jacket pockets. 

“Uh, _no.”_ Hana throws her hands up in the air.

“Angie was all like, ‘ _It’s alright, let me help you, heroes never die’_ blah blah blah.” She begins making comical nagging voices as her hand mimics a mouth.

“Well, she does work for the nurse, and her parents were famous doctors.” Lucio makes circles with his hand in the air trying to remember the facts. There was silence as Fareeha and Hana frowned his way. 

“………What?” he asks innocently. 

“So you didn’t tell her you were mildly allergic to spicy things?” The Egyptian decides to change the topic. 

“No.” Hana huffs, “We never go into each other’s rooms that much anyways.”

Hearing the response did make quite a bit of sense, Fareeha thought. She had a hard time imagining the world-class gamer and the prodigal scientist having much in common to actually be interested in what the other was working on every single day. 

She and Lena on the other hand…

Fareeha represses a shiver as she recalls how the Brit attempted to teach her how to play cricket.

Still, she never heard mentions of Angela’s parents, much less how she got into the Academy. Lucio was pretty spot on, from what she’s heard drifting around here and there. Much like her own situation, her parents were war heroes—medics during The Crisis, and the Swiss herself was already very far ahead in her field from a young age, earning her the attention of the Academy.

Everyone seems to have their own story. 

She gazes out the large framed windows lining the hallway.

A few days have passed since their home game—the day she gave her hoodie to Angela.

 _“She probably forgot.”_ she shrugs lightly as she approaches the door to Torbjorn’s classroom.

“Have fun building toys!” Lucio jokes as he and Hana walk ahead.

Fareeha rolls her eyes dramatically so that the two could see. 

At least she wouldn’t have to get teleported off a cliff.

 

 

\---

 

 

“Just in time!” Lena breathes as she hops on into the classroom.

“Top of the mornin’ love!” Lena greets Fareeha as she zips into the seat beside her. 

“Hey.” Fareeha says, surprised as she looks at the clock once, “what took you so long?” 

“My chrono accelerator was actin’ up last night!” the brunette explains, puffing and huffing as she shuffled her hand around in her bag.

“That’s why you probably saw some weird lights flashing outside your window.” she continued, taking out a water bottle and drinking a swig of water.

“Mhm…” Fareeha nodded as she tried to recall the events of the previous evening.

So _that_ was why it sounded like Lena was reenacting a scene from those old sci-fi movies.

“I had to take it Professor Winston’s lab to have it examined.” she continues, “No worries though, just needed some slight readjustments.” 

Lena thumps her chest with her fist confidently. Fareeha’s eyes gaze softly at the device, enticed by its soft azure glow.

 

 

\---

 

 

_“But I can really make a difference! Oh please sir, if you can just give me a chan—“_

_The wooden door smashes closed insultingly, causing the girl to wince at the noise._

_All remained silent, save for the hollow pitter-pattering of rain in the deadest of the nights._

_Her eyes stared dejectedly at the murky puddles on the ground. Her jaws clenched._

_Lena squeezed her eyes shut, she could feel her throat throb and constrict with emotion as her balled fists trembled with frustration._

_She drew in an unsteady breath, glistening orbs gazing up at the ceiling._

_No way._

_There was no way she was going to give in._

_Lena Oxton exhaled stubbornly through gritted teeth, her hunched shoulders gradually releasing the tension that had been building up during her attempt to persuade the restaurant owner to allow her a job._

_“Alright then!” she announced to herself, trying her best not to come off grumpy._

_“No biggie...just have to head home to the old drawing board!”_

_She bit her lip, insides twisting at the very thought of it._

_Making a conscious effort to steady and calm her breaths, she massaged her eyelids with her fingertips, trying her very best to reject the prickling tears that were threatening to spill over onto her cheeks once more._

_“Get a grip, Oxton. Just start over, it’s no big deal.  No big deal.”_

_The brunette mumbled the last three words to herself like an aged and stumbling tape recorder, hopping on the balls of her feet and quickening her breaths in an attempt to rev herself up._

_She casts her gaze at the downpour behind her, fiery eyes fighting to see beyond the chaos._

_“Alright! Nothing’s going to stop me!” The Brit declares to the night as she pulls her hood onto her head._

_“Watch out world! Here I come!” Lena’s cheer echoes as she charges into the rain, the papers in hand acting like an umbrella._

 

_\---_

 

_“Hey there, lil’ fella!”_

_The feline, fluff now washed and flattened by the weather, turned its head in the girl’s direction gave a simple “mrow” in response. Lena bended down by its side, looking like a slightly bigger cat herself as she hovered the soggy bunch of papers in her hand over its head, shielding it from the rain._

_“Whathca’ doin’ here on a day like this?”_

_“Mroooooooooooooooooooow.” The cat purred as it bared its fangs and drew in a yawn, showing off its small pink tongue._

_Lena reached out to stroke a thumb over the top of its delicate little head, smiling as it closed its eyes contentedly. The streets were still awake with warm lights and the hum of chatter, along with the occasional whir of cars whizzing down the path._

_“I should probably get goin’ now.” The brit explains, “I’ll see if I can bring you anything later okay?”_

_“Mrow.” The cat purred as Lena took her hand away, standing on all fours and shaking itself dry._

_“Ah! Hey!”_

_The cat leaped onto the lid of the garbage can next to her noiselessly._

_Lena let out a slow breath, watching as it springs into a puddle, paws splashing water in every direction as it sauntered off into the darkness of the alley._

_The brunette gazed uneasily at the flickering white light coming from the window behind her, chest twisting in anxiety._

_\---_

 

 

_The door opened slowly and silently, as if prompted by a light breeze. Lena was as silent and still as a mouse, advancing to the living room and scanning left and right for any expectant eyes in the darkness, the crinkling static of the TV her aid._

_“Didya get the job?”_

_The brunette nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound of the croaky voice coming from the kitchen._

_She mulled the response over in her head and waited until her heartbeat slowed to speak._

_“…Not yet.” she confessed, refusing to turn around to the man surrounded by empty bottles of liquor._

_Biting the inside of her cheek, she braced herself for what was coming next._

_“PFFHAH!” the man scoffed. Lena thought she could smell his breath from where he was standing._

_“You got rejected again is what you mean.”_

_The bottom of her eye twitched as she listened to him take another swig form his bottle. Resentment furled like a fire in the pit of her stomach, the slight metallic taste of blood pooling in her mouth._

_“You haven’t got a worthy piece of shit to offer anyone and you know that! So why bother?” his voice was lined thick with drunkenness._

_Her eyes remained locked on the wall in front of he, her body remaining stiff as if pushing against strong winter winds._

_She knew better._

_“WELL? IM TALKING TO YOU.”_

_The sudden outburst shook her bones. Panic throbbed in her chest as the sound of heavy footsteps began beating in her direction. Instincts kicking into overdrive, she bolted, missing the menacing grasp for her head by a single breath and sprinting up the stairs two at a time to her room, narrowly dodging a bottle that shattered frighteningly to the floor in the process._

_“YOU CAN’T HIDE FOREVER!” the voice downstairs spat and threatened aggressively as she sits with her back to the door, knees squeezing against her pounding chest._

_Minutes had passed. Glasses were shattered. Threats were made._

_And then, silence._

_\---_

 

_“VOLUNTEER NEEDED FOR NEW SLIPSTREAM EXPERIMENT”_

_Lena did a double-take, thumb scrolling back up to view the advertisement. The light of her phone illuminated her face as she lay curled up under her covers, the door barricaded securely by a wooden shelf._

_Curiously, she sought out more details as she tapped on the link, eyes speedreading through its contents like a machine._

_The brunette grinned._

_“Oof!” she grunts as she flops onto the other side of the bed, reaching out and adjusting the photoframe sitting on her nightstand._

_“Hehe, I think someone just got her lucky break!” she giggles to the image of a woman smiling sweetly beside a man with his arms wrapped lovingly around her waist, the other placed on the shoulder of the young girl in front of them._

_“ G’night mom, wish me luck!” she whispered before closing the lights, letting herself be lulled into slumber by the light drizzle._

 

_\---_

 

_“And that’s basically how I got this!”_

The Brit’s voice echoed in Fareeha’s mind as she replays the story in her head. She once heard that those who are the happiest often hold the most painful memories, and now, she could say for certain that it was true. 

“Well, good to know we won’t be bothered by the lady downstairs anymore.” she chuckles, thinking of all the times this past week where the elderly woman sitting at the front desk in their dorm had threatened to kick them onto the streets with her wrinkly bare feet if she got another claim they were disrupting other students. 

“Pff, I wasn’t even _that_ noisy.” Lena rolls her eyes playfully.

“Sure.” The Egyptian rolls the word off her tongue. 

A massive thud catches their attention as a redheaded girl stamps a weapon resembling a metallic mace on the floor. 

“Good morning class!” the girl announces with a flash of teeth, voice bright and energized, coupled along with a Nordic accent.

Fareeha’s eyes explode, mouth dropping through the floor in shock and amusement.

Oh, now _this_ was going to be interesting.


End file.
